Niassa: Climate Change worsens the life of the population of Lago

Lago is one of the districts in the Niassa province in northern Mozambique, located 200 km from the capital city, Lichinga. Its headquarters is the municipal town of Metangula.

This district is bordered by the third-largest lake in Africa, and its crystal-clear waters make it an attractive destination for sun and beach tourism. Fishing and tourism are sources of income and survival for many families, but in recent days, the lake has turned its back on the tourism sector due to climate change, which brings with it painful consequences. We are talking about Lake Niassa.

But specifically, what is happening to Lake Niassa?

Erosion – the erosion of Lake Niassa is destroying infrastructure, including plants along the shoreline in Metangula and the locality of Messumba.

Let’s break it down:

In the municipality of Metangula, in the Chuanga tourist area, we find a well-known tourist establishment called Cetuka, which today exists only by name, due to the erosion caused by the rising waters of the lake, which destroyed part of the establishment, along with the trees where tourists used to sit and spend leisure time. This situation began in February 2022 and worsened in the 2023/24 rainy season, from January to April of the current year.

Tourists who still visit Chuanga lament the destruction of the famous Cetuka or Catawala.

Julieta Rachide, a native and resident of Chuanga, interviewed while wearing a red capulana, said she had never seen a scene like this happening at Chuanga beach. "I was born and raised here, and I still live here in Chuanga. I have never seen a situation like this. As a child, we used to come here to the shore, which is our beach, to wash clothes and dishes, and the water would end far away. But today, look, all the trees have fallen. Even if you came here in the rainy season, around March or April, you would cry. The water was rising all the way here; just look at the fallen trees, the houses where visitors stayed are gone," lamented Julieta Rachide.

Trees and tourist infrastructure destroyed in Chuanga.

The manager of the Cetuka establishment also laments the situation and talks about the impact this phenomenon has had on his business. "Everything is getting flooded, the lake is expanding more, and as for the number of tourists, they no longer come. We have lost so much. Most of our belongings have been taken by the lake."

The lake has not only taken Cetuka’s belongings but also scared away tourists, and consequently, workers. Many workers lost their jobs because there are no tourists visiting anymore, continued the manager.

The Cetuka manager talks about having had more than 15 workers, but now only 3 remain. "Many workers lost their jobs, they are at home because nothing is happening here anymore. We had over 15 employees, and now there are only 3 due to this catastrophe, and there is nothing we can do," he lamented.

On a Sunday with a temperature of 32 degrees, Cetuka was found abandoned in this way.

In the municipal headquarters of Metangula, in the Seli neighborhood, we found another tourist establishment, which also did not escape the effects of the lake’s waters. The plants and benches where tourists used to sit and enjoy drinks had been swallowed by the water. However, after the water level decreased in recent months, the benches started to appear from the water, with some plants still alive, but others dying due to their inability to withstand the conditions.

This situation has led to a decrease in visitors because it is no longer attractive. Gil Paulino, one of the bathers at Seli beach, talks about the situation: "In the past, we would bathe by those plants, but in recent years, things have changed. The water reached all the way here to the benches where we would sit, but in past years, the plants were out of the water. I think this problem started in 2022. Now, not many people come to have fun. They are afraid of the water because, in the rainy season, it reaches all the way to the small house," he explained.

The visible environment illustrates a crater opened by the fury of the lake’s waters, putting two public infrastructures at risk.

The effects of the lake's waters are not limited to tourist establishments. On the other side, at the entrance to this tourist area, we find a similar situation: the road that connects the district headquarters to the Chuanga area is being eroded by the waters, reducing its width and requiring urgent intervention.

Residents of Chuanga and road users say that the situation worsened with the rains from the last rainy season, which increased the volume of water, eroding and almost overtaking the road. Now, cars cannot overtake each other.

"Before, the water ended about 6 meters from the edge of the road, but this happened with this year’s rain. If we have the same amount of rain next rainy season, oh… there won’t be a path. If there is, it will only be about one meter wide, just enough for motorcycles to pass," said Vitorino Nguate, one of the motorcyclists.

In the first months of the year, the water reached the edge of the road and reduced its width. Ernesto Cristóvão, one of the drivers, laments the situation and accuses the government of doing nothing to stop it. "Brother, what is happening here is no joke. Tomorrow we will be crying. Are the government officials not seeing this? Are they waiting for the problem to get worse before doing something? Then there will be no other place for cars or people to pass; it will all be lake," he said.

In the locality of Messumba, in the Lunho Administrative Post, we found Pequeno Brasil, a tourist establishment that, in the first months of the year, was temporarily closed due to the lake’s waters flooding the road that leads to the location, forcing tourists to travel about 500 km in water, up to their knees.

But what should be the solution to the problem?

Users suggest the construction of a protective barrier along the road. "What I see is that my idea is for the government to build a small barrier, then fill the area where the water opened a hole with earth," explained Vitorino Nguate.

And what does the district government say about the solution to this problem?

"The government is very concerned. At the moment, the government, through its partners, is conducting a study to understand what is happening and what possible solutions are available. Only through a study can we have a better idea of what we can do. Without a study, we could fail," explained Elves Romão, the District Director of Planning and Infrastructure.

As researchers have not yet completed the study, the lake continues to advance with its actions, and if we have heavy rainfall during the next rainy season, the lake’s volume will increase due to the waters descending from the mountain range that runs along the lake’s stretch.

These are some examples of the impacts of climate change in the Lago district, not to mention the houses that collapsed in one of the neighborhoods of Metangula village, which require urgent attention. Better to prevent than to remedy. (David Muianga)