Authorities in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province have ordered residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate immediately, warning that a major dam is now full and may begin releasing water, raising fears of worsening floods downstream in Mozambique.
The alert comes as southern Africa reels from weeks of extreme weather, with torrential rains and flooding in the south colliding sharply with devastating drought conditions in eastern Africa a stark illustration of the accelerating impacts of climate change on the continent.
Officials in Mpumalanga said the precautionary evacuation was necessary as sustained rainfall pushed dam levels to capacity, increasing the risk of controlled or emergency water releases. Mozambique, which lies downstream, is already grappling with widespread flooding that has displaced thousands and submerged homes, roads, farms, and businesses.
In southern Mozambique, floodwaters have inundated large swathes of Gaza province and parts of Maputo’s outskirts. Entire neighbourhoods remain underwater, forcing families to abandon their homes and seek temporary shelter. In cities such as Xai Xai, restaurants, shops, and key transport routes have been swallowed by rising waters, disrupting livelihoods and food supplies.
“This water must go down before we can even begin to rebuild,” said Richard Sequeira, a local boat captain navigating flooded streets. “But if more water is released upstream, people could be living like this for weeks, even months.”
The unfolding crisis follows heavy rains across southern Africa, while just weeks earlier, communities in the Horn of Africa were struggling with one of the worst droughts in years. In northern Kenya, dried riverbeds, dead livestock, and severe water shortages have pushed pastoralist families to the brink, underscoring the continent’s vulnerability to increasingly erratic climate patterns.
Climate experts warn that such rapid swings from drought to floods within short periods are becoming more frequent due to global warming, overwhelming fragile infrastructure and disaster response systems.
For Mozambique, the threat is far from over. With the Mpumalanga dam potentially releasing water, emergency agencies fear that already flooded districts could face a new surge, compounding displacement, health risks, and food insecurity.
Authorities have urged residents in low-lying areas to heed evacuation orders and called for regional coordination as the cascading effects of climate extremes continue to unfold across borders.
Source: Aljazeera