16th March 2000

Flooding in Mozambique

stunned: if someone is stunned, they are very shocked by something

delegates: a delegate is a person chosen to make decisions on behalf of a group of people, especially at a meeting

apportioning: when you apportion something, especially blame or praise, you decide how much of it different people or groups deserve, or should be given

shattered: if something shatters it breaks into a lot of small pieces

infrastructure: the facilities, services and equipment that enable a country, society or organisation to function effectively - roads, railways, electricity, water supplies.

There has already been some discussion about how countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa could do more to manage the flow of water down rivers running into Mozambique. It's been suggested that co-ordination and prior warning of when floodgates are about to be opened on dams up-river would give communities in Mozambique more time to leave areas where flooding is common.

co-ordination: to co-ordinate a project or activity means to organise the different aspects of it to make sure they all run efficiently

floodgates: if you open the floodgates, you make it possible for a large number of people to do something for the first time. In this case it refers to actual gates / doors that hold back flood water.

dams: a dam is a wall built across a river to stop the flow of water and make a lake.