Abstract:
Decentralization in the water sector in Mozambique began in 1991 with the enactment of the Water Law
and the creation of the ARAs, however, the impact of these reforms on water management in the
Umbelúzi is unknown. The study was carried out in the Umbelúzi basin in Mozambique, combining
qualitative analysis through the case study approach and quantitative analysis through logistic regression
with the aim of analysing the impact of decentralization on water management. The results showed that
the institutions created in the water sector, the population density of the basin area, the organizational
structure of the water sector, the presence of mechanisms for sharing information and resolving conflicts,
and the management capacity of the associations all contribute positively to the development of
decentralized water management in the Umbelúzi, as do the performance aspects of decentralization. It
was also observed that the number of years in the association, the number of members per association
and the payment of water tariffs showed an expected positive relationship with the decentralization
process and were statistically significant at 5% significance. The other variables were not statistically
significant, but showed an expected sign, except for primary and higher levels of education, which
reduce the chances of developing decentralized water management. There is therefore a need for the
Mozambican government to train, empower and involve user associations in the management of
Umbelúzi water, especially those with primary and secondary levels of education
