AfDB-Backed Drones Deployed as Mozambique Battles Devastating Floods

More than 34,000 livestock have been lost and over 100,000 hectares of farmland destroyed, heightening the risk of a prolonged food-security crisis.

Search and rescue and disaster assessment operations are now underway in Mozambique using advanced drone technology financed and supported by the African Development Bank Group, as the country grapples with some of the most severe flooding in its recent history.

The drone deployment is part of the Drone-Based Disaster Management Project, launched in 2025 by the African Development Bank Group, the Government of Mozambique and Busan Techno Park (BTP), with support from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund. The initiative was designed to strengthen national disaster preparedness and is now being put into action during a real-world emergency.

Earlier phases of the project established a drone training centre in Mozambique and rolled out drone-based monitoring and emergency response across five flood-prone regions. This week, a joint response team of Mozambican government officials and Korean technical experts began live drone missions in Gaza Province, including the districts of Chókwè and Guijá, streaming real-time data to emergency coordinators to locate stranded residents and assess damage.

The scale of destruction is extensive. More than 34,000 livestock have been lost and over 100,000 hectares of farmland destroyed, heightening the risk of a prolonged food-security crisis. Gaza Province has been the hardest hit, with the provincial capital Xai-Xai largely submerged. Flooded and damaged road networks have left entire communities cut off, preventing ground rescue teams from accessing affected areas.

Drone operations were launched following high-level coordination meetings on 26 January 2026, bringing together the Mozambican government, African Development Bank officials and Korean technical specialists to activate the emergency response.

Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation Américo Muchanga said the deployment represents a turning point for Mozambique’s disaster response capability.

He said the initiative is helping build a skilled national workforce able to lead disaster response efforts with confidence and autonomy, ensuring the country is better equipped to protect communities during severe climate-driven emergencies.

To embed drone technology as a permanent part of Mozambique’s emergency response system, the project has donated nine drones—four for training and five for operational deployment. These assets enable ongoing monitoring of high-risk areas as conditions evolve.

So far, 20 Mozambicans, including staff from disaster management agencies and security forces, have completed drone training and are now flying missions alongside Korean specialists.

African Development Bank Resident Representative in Mozambique Rômulo Corrêa said the Bank is fully engaged at this critical moment to help ease immediate suffering.

He said the transition from training to live drone operations is delivering real-time information that shortens response times, connects isolated communities with urgent assistance and saves lives, while also strengthening Mozambique’s long-term resilience to future disasters.

Busan Technopark President Kim Hyeong-kyun said the flood response demonstrates how technology-based cooperation can deliver immediate, practical results during crises, adding that Busan Technopark remains committed to supporting global disaster management efforts.

Drones are increasingly recognised as a game-changer in emergency response, allowing rapid deployment to flooded or inaccessible areas, improving situational awareness through aerial imagery, and helping authorities prioritise rescues, plan access routes and coordinate recovery efforts.

The current deployment marks a significant shift in how Mozambique confronts climate shocks—integrating advanced technology with local capacity to not only respond to emergencies, but institutionalise resilience. Through this partnership, the African Development Bank and the Government of Mozambique say the country is building the tools and foresight needed to protect lives, livelihoods and long-term development in an era of intensifying climate risks.