Resolution n. 42/2016 approving the Water Policy.

The National Water Policy was approved by a Government resolution in August 1995 after the Water Law of 1991. The Vision of the Water Policy is aims to a future where water is available in adequate quantity and quality for present and future generations, serving for sustainable development, poverty reduction and welfare and minimizing negative effects of floods and droughts. The Water Policy aims to achieve, by 2030, the following main objectives: meeting the basic needs of human consumption of safe and reliable drinking water (which will be materialized through specific targets for urban, peri-urban and rural areas and should be in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of achieving universal and equitable access to safe drinking water for all by 2030); improve sanitation as an essential tool for the prevention of water-borne diseases (malaria, cholera, diarrhea) and improve quality of life and environmental balance; use water efficiently for economic development; water for environmental conservation; reduce vulnerability to floods and droughts through a better coordination and planning; promote peace and regional integration and guarantee water resources for the development of Mozambique; etc. (pags. 886 and 887).
The Water Policy is structured in four main parts: Part 1, contained in Chapter 2, introduces the vision, key objectives and key policies for the water sector; Part 2 addresses water needs - for water supply and sanitation, for economic development, for the environment - and for floods and droughts. This part covers Chapters 3 to 6; Part 3 deals with integrated water resources management, involving the assessment of water resources and water use, shared basin planning and water infrastructure. Part 3 is developed in Chapters 7 and 8; Part 4 refers to cross-cutting issues, including economic and financial aspects, private sector participation, institutional and legal frameworks, and institutional capacity building. This part is contained in Chapters 9 to 12. The Main Policies are: integrated management of water resources and basic needs of the poorest population. The Government gives high priority to meeting the basic needs of the poorest rural and urban population, in water supply and sanitation; water is important for economic development and poverty reduction. To enable services to become financially viable, the price of water should approximate its economic value; the Government will focus on the definition of priorities, standards and regulation in the use of water; role of stakeholders affected by water management at river basin level; participation of beneficiaries; increasing the role of the private sector; integration of water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion, etc. (pags. 886 and 887).
With the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015 in New York City, a new global agenda for the elimination of poverty was adopted by 2030 and a sustainable future water and sanitation sector, which includes the management of water resources, as follows: ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe drinking water for all; By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and end with the open defecation (pags. 885 and 886). Fishing in coastal areas, estuaries and deltas, rivers, reservoirs and lakes is an important resource for the Mozambican economy and for many families living in rural areas and coastal areas, both in terms of family income and diet. Aquaculture is an economic activity whose access to water resources will be prioritized with a view to its rapid development. Therefore, the water needs for fishing, in terms of river and estuary flows and water quality, will be duly considered in the river basin plans and implemented (pag. 891).