Sweco to study future water supply in southern Africa

By 2027, rapid urbanisation will lead to a tripling in demand for clean water in Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo. Sweco’s environmental consultants have been chosen to develop a strategy for preventing a water shortage in the city.

“Sweco has substantial experience of water resource planning in Africa and we are now strengthening our local presence by opening a new office in South Africa,” says Bo Carlsson, President of Sweco Environment.

Maputo currently has some 1.5 million inhabitants and with annual population growth of 3 per cent, access to clean water is already reaching its limit. Sweco’s task is to assess the quantity of water than can be made available to Maputo by utilising three nearby rivers and the possible consequences for other users.

Sweco’s services will also include studies on the opportunities to reduce the water requirement in Maputo through water reclamation and more efficient water management. The final product will be an applicable strategy for Maputo’s water supply over the next 20 years.

The assignment will be carried out on behalf of government agencies in Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa, and will be financed by development grant from the Dutch Government. The contract is worth nearly EUR 365,000.