Luanda - Around USD189 million were invested in the Program to Combat the Effects of Drought in Southern Angola (PCESSA) to reduce cyclical problems in the region, announced this Sunday in Luanda, the Ministry of Energy and Water (MINEA).
The program includes the construction of dams and water supply systems, actions in progress in the municipalities of Cuvelai, Cuanhama, Cahama and Curoca, all in the province of Cunene, which, when completed, will benefit more than 380.000 people.
In a note sent to ANGOP, Minea says that the amount invested is part of a total of USD 759 million planned in this first phase, being implemented in the province of Cunene.
It highlights that the Executive develops a specific program of structuring actions that consists of the construction of channels and transfers between basins.
The note informs that it includes the construction of dams with reservoirs to accumulate rainwater, including the rehabilitation of dozens of dams, in the provinces of Cunene, Namibe and Huíla.
To remind that the program, with a budget of USD 4.5 billion, began in the province of Cunene, with the completion of the CAFU Canal, with water capture from the Cunene river and its distribution across 165 kilometers of open canals, with a beneficial potential for thousands of people and animals, in addition to irrigating the soil along its route.
Expected benefits of the program
The program aims to ensure access to water for human consumption, improving the health conditions and quality of life of the population, as well as for agricultural use.
With assured means of production and subsistence, it is expected to mitigate high environmental impacts, such as reducing the production of charcoal, a means of survival for the population, to a minimum.
It is estimated that around 600.000 families will benefit from the promotion of family farming.
Minea says that, with the existence of sufficient water, a major paradigm shift in the Region is also expected, which will become attractive for the development of large-scale production agricultural enterprises, with the generation of approximately 9.500 direct jobs and potential to generate another 3000 tons of agricultural products, which could be added to the local economy.
Transactions estimated at more than a million dollars are expected, with prospects of tripling in the following years.
“Livestock farming is part of the local culture and is prominent in national production, with the province of Cunene responsible for approximately 30% of the country's production. Currently, around 2.5 million head of cattle suffer from poor pasture quality, lack of rain, among other harms”, reads the note.
The Program to Combat the Effects of Drought in Southern Angola is a broad plan from the Angolan Executive, which envisages bringing development to the region, significant improvements in the population's quality of life and pride for local communities.
It is expected that the works to implement the structures will generate around 4.500 direct jobs that will mainly benefit local labor.
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