The African Development Bank (ADB) has granted Mozambique funding of US$21.4 million to be used for the Sustainable Land and Water Resources Management Project, following a credit agreement signed Wednesday in Maputo.

The project is intended to support four districts of Gaza province that are affected by changes in weather and that are cyclically affected by droughts and flooding. It is estimated that the project will benefit 20,000 farmers, half of which are women.

The ADB representative, Joseph Ribeiro, said that the project had been set up to minimise the effects and impact of climate change felt in Mozambican communities, as a result of irregular rain patterns.

Mozambique’s Minister for Planning and Development, Aiuba Cuereneia, said that the US$21.4 million was made up of US$3.2 million loan from ADB, a donation from the Climate Investment Fund and funding of US$2.2 million from the Mozambican government.

Mozambican news agency AIM said that the project was coordinated by the National Directorate for Agrarian Services of the Agriculture Ministry and its execution will be the responsibility of the Provincial Agricultural Services Directorate in Gaza province. (macauhub)