7007. SEA and multi-sector plan for the Lower Zambezi Basin: advisory reports on scoping, coaching and review - Mozambique

The Lower Zambezi Basin has a high social, economic and ecological potential. The various resources and respective sectors involved pose a complex challenge for the establishment of a development plan for the region. A framework that coordinates and monitors the various sector developments is needed. The Environmental Ministry (MICOA, now MITADER) therefore requested the NCEA to assist in an SEA process to support the elaboration of a coordinated development plan across sectors.

Advisory reports and other documents

Significant details

• 2011 - The NCEA advised on scoping and approach for an integrated SEA and multi-sector planning process. The advice suggested an approach with two phases:
  • Coordination of the interests of the sectors involved in a multi-sector agenda;
  • Implementation of the agenda in individual sector plans.
• The advice continued with recommendations for only the first phase of the planning/SEA process with an option to advice on the second phase, once the Government of Mozambique had formally agreed on this two-phased approach.
• 2012 - The NCEA assisted MICOA’s planning department and the Zambezi Valley Development Agency (ZVDA) in developing an operational plan for the spatial planning process and SEA for the Lower Zambezi basin, including advice on a ToR for engaging a consultant.
• 2013 - The Agency decided to tender out the spatial planning process/SEA, published a call for expression of interest in Mozambique and composed a short list of consultants. On request of the Netherlands Embassy in Maputo, the tender was extended, allowing Mozambican companies on the short list to form consortia with Dutch companies. The NCEA coached the ZVDA in assessing the quality of the three proposals received and UATA (the technical and administrative support unit of ZVDA and MICOA), to help the winning consortium (TPF) revise the technical proposal.
• 2014 - The formal kick-off. At this occasion, NCEA and UATA signed a ToR specifying NCEA's required involvement in the Zambezi SEA/MultisectorAgenda/PEOTT/Digital Model. The NCEA's support consisted of quality checks of several versions of the Inception report. The Inception Report was finalized in July 2014. In November 2014, a first set of documents was produced and UATA asked NCEA to perform a quality review. The NCEA was critical on a number of issues:
  • A large amount of data is provided, however, a critical analysis what all this information means for the Zambezi region and planning process is lacking.
  • The process showed no sign of local presence nor input.
• 2015 - the NCEA attended two Public Participation workshops in Caia and Tete and later on a meeting of the so-called CAS (with high level representatives).
• 2016 - attendance (on request of the RNE) of the Maputo Public Participation meeting on the third phase products of the Zambezi Multi-Sector Agenda/SEA/PEOTT (20 May 2016) and attending 2nd meeting of Conselho de Acompanhamento e de Supervisão (10 August 2016).

Parties involved

Members of the working group

Technical secretary: Ineke Steinhauer

Further details

Country: Mozambique

Last modified: 01 Apr 2019