Implementation of flood early warning systems in Mozambique - A stakeholder involved process?

Abstract

The interest in early warning systems, EWS, has intensified the latest decade since climate change is predicted to make new hazards arise and known hazards emerge in new places. EWS for natural hazards can be used to support settlements to develop in relatively safe areas and to shed light on obstacles along the path of development. The use of people-centered approaches and stakeholder involvement is within the policy and research field of policy implementation in developing countries and EWS for natural hazards often highlighted as methods and strategies that can help to explain the outcomes of an implementation. Implementation of flood EWS however is a topic that is deficient in earlier research. Which factors impact the outcome of these systems is one area where information is necessary in order to improve future implementations and establish sustainable policies. Mozambique’s development in preparedness and use of flood EWS since the flooding of 2000 has internationally been portrayed as a success story. This study aims to understand if a stakeholder involved approach has been used in the implementation of flood EWS in Mozambique and, if so, in what way this stakeholder involvement could help explain the successful implementation. Using an ideal type analysis, conducting informant interviews and gathering documents the findings show that stakeholder involvement is a part of the successful flood EWS implementation in Mozambique. This study suggest that stakeholder involvement seems to be a central piece along the lines of how earlier research has portrayed it concerning other implementation and EWS fields than flood EWS. Even though there are no blueprint solutions the results show that people centered approaches and stakeholder involvement can be useful instruments in order to carry out enhanced flood EWS. This study also suggests that the attitude and treatment of stakeholder involving strategies and people centered methods from of a key actor seem to be of noticeable importance when creating relationships with other involved stakeholders. These pieces are elements that can be highlighted in future research and also could play an important part in potential future successful implementations of flood EWS.