Coastal communities, which comprise approximately 20 million people, are among the most vulnerable population. Significant coral reef habitats on the northern coast provide the basis for livelihoods in fishing and tourism. Over-exploitation, both in destructive fishing and diving, are serious threats to the coral habitats. Sustainable and inclusive management of the country’s natural resource base is a central priority for the Government. The importance of involving local communities in the management of marine areas is recognized and legislated in Mozambique. However, significant gaps in capacity and resources hinder effective community based approaches and therefore increase the threats to areas of high biodiversity that are under protection.
The International Climate Initiative (IKI)-funded Locally Empowered Area of Protection (LEAP) project is empowering these coastal communities and especially women in an inclusive, resilient and more sustainable way. Taking a gender-responsive approach, specific needs, priorities, and expectations of men and women were recognized and addressed in the design of the sustainable management action plans. The project approaches linked to conservation actions are the creation of permanent and temporary community reserves, the creation of mangrove nurseries, and the promotion of replanting actions in degraded areas.
In Cabo Delgado Province (Mecufi District) for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the communities experienced a closed fishing period. The project equipped the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) groups with saving kits and agricultural inputs for the horticulture groups and this gave fisherwomen and coastal community members other income streams during the period, reducing pressure on fishery resources. This has also translated into an increase in women’s access to and control of agricultural inputs.
The LEAP project has also supported creation of community-based management groups in Cabo Delgado with increased participation from women. Out of the 11 groups created, 205 out of the 249 members are women (representing 82%). To support creation of sustainable livelihoods and financial education for coastal communities, the project introduced the idea of a management group structure through the VSLA groups.
The groups have also been trained on production of mangrove seedlings for nursery establishment, ecosystem restoration and management, and how to monitor and manage the life cycle of specific fishery resources.
About the author
Teresa Arlindo Tsotsane, born in Mozambique in 1988 and has a degree in Biological Sciences. She has been working for ama - Associação de meio ambiente, since 2014 first as a field technician in coastal communities in the north of Cabo Delgado Province, and currently as a livelihoods officer in the LEAP Project.
ama - Associação de meio ambiente, is the LEAP implementer partner. AMA is a national NGO with a specialisation in community-based fisheries, natural resource management and climate change adaptation. AMA’s expertise in Environmental Education, Community Participation, Good Governance and Natural Resource Management, with a special focus on community-based conservation, particularly around coastal and marine, brings real added value to the project. https://ama-amigosdaterra.org/
