South Korea’s Drone Squad Turns Mozambique Flood Disaster into a Zero Fatalities Success Story

Imagine a community facing one of the worst floods in decades and yet losing zero lives. This is not a fantasy. It is a reality that occurred in Marracuene district just north of the capital. The Incomáti River burst its banks after weeks of heavy rainfall. The water rose and submerged hundreds of square miles. Yet the raging waters failed to claim a single soul. This miracle was made possible thanks to a small squadron of drones and their pilots. They used technology to inform search and rescue efforts in real time.

The story behind this success comes from the African Development Bank. It highlights a partnership between the continent and South Korea. In April, the South Korea, Africa Economic Cooperation KOAFEC Trust Fund launched the Drone-Based Disaster Management Project. Their goal was to train 30 public sector experts. These experts came from meteorology, road mapping, water management, and disaster response agencies. They were learning to use drones for emergency response. The January floods acted as a critical test for these trainees.

Before this project, many of these pilots had absolutely no experience with drones. Kátia Manjate is one of these new pilots. Under the guidance of South Korean instructors, she learned to run the entire data pipeline. She learned to operate everything from data collection to the final product. She learned how to process information and understand the results. This early expertise was vital when the Incomáti River completely lost its course. The river submerged vast areas beneath murky water. Incomáti became the equivalent of a final year exam for the students.