The 1999/2000 floods in the southern provinces and the heavy flooding event of the Zambezi river during the following wet
period caused world wide attention. Even though, floods are a common problem in Mozambique, the duration and extent of these
events were unique: The tide gauge of the Limpopo at Xai-Xai reached a 500-year peak level. Road connections between northern
and southern Mozambique were destroyed with whole districts cut off.
Relief organizations faced huge problems to reach the disaster areas due to lack of information about roads and airports.
In order to ensure fast and effective help, information about the actual flood extent, the state of the infrastructure, land
use and settlements is needed. Access to a near real time Crisis Information System can help the decision makers and rescue
forces to manage the disaster.
In order to improve the efficiency of future rescue operations in this region, the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs (AA)
commissioned the "Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information" at Oberpfaffenhofen to create a Crisis Information System
(CIS) for immediate humanitarian response in Mozambique flood disasters - the "MOZAMBIQUE flood information system".
Goals:
near real time flood monitoring
data integration in a GIS
supply the information via internet
development of a "mobile client" system for the field work
suitabilty check for earth observation data concerning near real time flood mapping
design a regional data base
feasibility study for a "mobile client" system with an adapted mapserver
