Cahora Bassa Dam - Mozambique

Cahora Bassa Dam - Mozambique

1. Details

   • Mozmbique was one of the poorest countries in the world, with an HDI of just 0.327
     • 52% of Mozambique's population are under the poverty line
   • Portugal initially had an 82% stake and Mozambique only 19%, and as they had to contract much of the work to private companies, their profits were diminished further, but now Mozambique has full ownership
     • Portugal was the x-colonial ruler of Mozambique, and it was their idea to build the dam
   • The construction produces environmentally clean energy and employment
   • the dam blocks the 4th largest artificial lake in Africa, and is one of 3 major dams along the Zambezi River which goes through Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, and finally Mozambique
   • it has created a lake that is 292Km long, up to 32Km wide and a max. of 157m deep
   • Started in the 1960s and finished 30yrs later, although development and use of the scheme was stunted by civil war 1977-1992.

2. Location map:

3. Key terms:

   • bilateral
   • top-down
   • long term
   • large-scale project

4. Effects?

   • Positive
     • Long term
       • the dam provides an important power import facility to the South African grid, transmitting 1920MW of power, and one MW can power 1,000 average US homes
       • Most of the power is sold to South Africa, boosts the national economy
       • A Kapenta fishery industry has developed, harvesting 10,000 tonnes in 2003
   • Negative
     • Short term
       • only 1% of Mozambique actually have access to electricity
         • so they cannot access what the dam is producing
         • This level has hardly changed during the dam
       • The local shrimp industry has been destroyed
     • Long term
       • The dam could produce more energy but its potential is limited by other upstream dams that keep river flows very low
       • The potential for the dam to reduce flooding has been a disappointment as floods downstream and on other rivers occurred, which are an environmental limit to development which the dams were hoped to reduce
       • Even though selling the electricity to South Africa benefits the economy, it does not directly benefit the citizens

5. Success?

   • YES
     • It is a success because is provides important power, and has enabled Mozambique to pay off some of its debt. It is also a long term investment, allowing Mozambique to eventually develop slightly, and is a source of clean electricit. Some success has been experienced, but with more careful planning and control much more could be achieved.
   • NO
     • It is not a success because even though it is generating such large amounts of electricity, the people of Mozambique cannot access it, and the dam would have a larger potential if other dams were not further upstream. Furthermore the dam was built to increase Mozambique's development, but subsequent flooding has held it back even further

Images and files in the map