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

27 May 2011: Memorandum
Advice on approach SEA for planning resources
25 Nov 2011: Terms of reference
Advice on Scoping for an Integrated Multi-Sector Plan and SEA for the Lower Zambezi Basin
24 May 2012: Memorandum
Advice on ToR for engaging consultant company
07 Sep 2013: Memorandum
Advice tender process Zambezi
29 Apr 2014: Memorandum
Advice Informal Draft Inception Report Zambezi
27 May 2014: Memorandum
Advice Draft Inception Report Zambezi
14 Nov 2014: Memorandum
Advice Phase 1 Products Zambezi
10 Apr 2015: Memorandum
Portuguese version Report & Observations 1st Tete public hearing Zambezi
Report & Observations 1st Tete public hearing Zambezi
29 Oct 2015: Other
Portuguese version of factual report 1st CAS
01 Feb 2016: Memorandum
Advice 2nd CAS PEOTT proposal & guidelines

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

Adriaan van den Dries
Sibout Govert Nooteboom
Elissaios Papyrakis
Roel Slootweg
Peter Tarr
Pieter van der Zaag

Technical secretary: Ineke Steinhauer

Further details

Country: Mozambique


Last modified: 01 Apr 2019