The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, through the PROMOVE Biodiversidade Program, held a strategic seminar on February 19 and 20, in the City of Maputo, with the objective of reflecting on strategic, sustainable, and effective approaches to generate concrete benefits for the communities of the Conservation Areas benefiting from the program, while simultaneously promoting biodiversity conservation.

The Seminar brought together 86 participants, including representatives from BIOFUND, the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Gilé National Park (PNAG), Mount Mabu, PROMOVE Biodiversidade implementation partners, and members of the Community Associations from the program beneficiary areas.

Commitment to Conservation: Interventions of Key PROMOVE Biodiversidade Stakeholders

“Conservation is development”, stated Luís Honwana, Executive Director of BIOFUND, highlighting the importance of ensuring that the Program’s next actions bring real impact to communities.

The European Union, represented by Aude Guignard, stressed that PROMOVE Biodiversidade is based on the initiative https://www.natura-africa.de/aboutus and represents a pioneering European Union experience in supporting conservation in Mozambique, reinforcing the need to harmonize approaches, exchange experiences, and overcome challenges to improve performance in Conservation Areas.

For ANAC, PROMOVE Biodiversidade has brought positive results in strengthening communities and Conservation Areas, as well as in reinforcing ANAC’s relationship with other organizations.

Community organization representatives, in turn, emphasized the importance of active community involvement, highlighting that the Program has already contributed to reducing uncontrolled fire, poaching, and deforestation in Mount Mabu and PNAG.

“Since our birth, we had never heard of conservation. With PROMOVE Biodiversidade, we created the CONSERVAMabu Association and began raising community awareness. Today, there is already awareness of the importance of preserving natural resources,” said Hortência Manuel, Manager of the CONSERVAMabu Association and community facilitator.

Group Work for Sustainable Solutions

On the second day of the Seminar, participants worked in groups to identify sustainable solutions for community development. Among the solutions discussed for the generation of tangible benefits, the following stood out:

1. Enhancement of the cashew value chain in PNAG
2. Coffee production and ecotourism in Mount Mabu
3. Sustainable fishing in the Environmental Protection Area of the Primeiras and Segundas Islands (APAIPS).

The seminar reinforced the need to continue developing solutions co-created with communities, ensuring their ownership and the involvement of the private sector. The seminar’s recommendations will be translated into concrete actions, ensuring that communities play a leading role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates on PROMOVE Biodiversidade actions!