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

Imagens e arquivos do mapa