ARA-Sul - Southern Regional Water Authority (Administração Regional de Águas de Sul)

The Ministry of Construction and Water established in 1993 the Regional Administration of Águas do Sul (ARA Sul), thus marking the beginning of the decentralization of water resources management. Among the five ARA`s created under Law nº 16/91, of 3 August – Water Law, ARA-Sul was the first Regional Administration to be established in the country, through Decree nº 26/91, of 14 from November.

ARA-Sul is an institution endowed with legal personality and administrative, patrimonial and financial autonomy, is supervised by the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources through the National Directorate of Water Resources Management, has its headquarters in the city of Maputo and develops its activity from the southern border to the Save River basin.

ARA-Sul manages 3 large important dams (Pequenos Libombos, Corumana and Massingir) and a large reservoir (Macarretane in the Limpopo basin), as well as some smaller dams, dykes and other hydraulic structures and an extensive network of hydroclimatological stations. 

The main responsibilities of ARA-Sul are defined in article 2 of its statutes (Ministerial Diploma nº 134/93, of 17 November) and are summarized as follows:

Planning, guaranteeing the availability and balanced distribution of water resources (surface and underground).
Control of the use and exploitation of surface and underground water, discharge of effluents and other activities that affect water resources.
Granting of usage rights and the imposition of related fees.
Design, construction and operation of hydraulic infrastructures.
Authorization and inspection of and hydraulic infrastructures.
Provision of technical services to the public and private sector.
Collection and management of hydrological data.
 

Eyesight
Ensure the socio-economic management of water resources to guarantee water in quantity and quality for the preservation of the environment, mitigation of the effects of floods, cyclical droughts and satisfaction of future needs.

Mission
Ensuring the economic and rational use of water for the protection of the environment and user satisfaction, expanding the network for monitoring water resources and efficiently managing the water retention infrastructure.

Values
User orientation
Integrated and participatory management
competence and integrity
Social responsability