Mozambique has trained 30 drone pilots and completed a project to strengthen disaster monitoring and response using drone technology, as the country seeks to improve preparedness for increasingly frequent extreme weather events.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Communications and digital Transformation through the National Institute of Meteorology, equips government institutions with drone technology and technical expertise to improve disaster preparedness and response.
Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund, the US$967,000 project was launched in April 2025 in partnership with the ministry and Busan Technopark of the Republic of Korea.
It included technology transfer, specialised training and institutional capacity building to support the use of drones in disaster management and other sectors.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the 30 drone pilots, Maria Benvinda Levi, prime minister of Mozambique, said the country's vulnerability to cyclones, storms, floods and droughts makes investment in technology critical to strengthening disaster preparedness.
She said the drones would enable authorities to monitor disasters in real time, map affected areas and provide faster information to emergency coordination centres, supporting quicker and more effective responses.
"The use of drones in the management of natural disasters constitutes the government's commitment to adopting innovative technologies to monitor extreme weather events, leading to the protection of human life and the social and economic fabric of our country," Levi said.
According to the AfDB, the project lays the foundation for wider adoption of drone technology across public sector institutions while strengthening cooperation between Mozambique, the Republic of Korea and the bank on technology transfer and capacity building.
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