As part of the PROMOVE Biodiversidade program, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), in partnership with the consortium WWF-ReGeCom-RADEZA and Chimanimani National Park (PNC), carried out an exchange visit with the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) team in Malawi at the end of August 2022.

The main objective of this initiative was to exchange experiences on conservation perspectives and the engagement of local communities around Mount Mulanje, with a view to strengthening the implementation of the PROMOVE Biodiversidade Programme at Mount Mabu in Mozambique and the Biodiversity Conservation and Community Development Project (CBDC) in the Chimanimani Conservation Area.

The Mount Mulanje Forest Reserve is characterized by high ecological and socioeconomic value, similar to Mount Mabu region and PNC. It is a region rich in diverse habitats that support flora and fauna species that are priorities for biodiversity conservation, including endemic and even threatened species, according to the IUCN Red List.

The MMCT, in coordination with various stakeholders, including the Malawi Department of Forestry, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith-Based Organizations, schools, and youth, works together to achieve important biodiversity conservation goals for Mulanje through innovative projects that improve biodiversity and provide more sustainable livelihoods for communities.

During visits to three local communities in the Mulanje region, namely Nessa, Bondo, and Likhubula, it was possible to observe practices and measures being implemented through the various MMCT projects. In conversations with the communities, they emphasized that their lives have improved with the implementation of the projects, in which the main activities include tea cultivation, beekeeping, electricity generation, cedar plant restoration, community tourism, and mountain patrols to control charcoal production.

These are the types of approaches and community conservation initiatives that can be implemented at Mount Mabu, a beneficiary area of PROMOVE Biodiversidade located in Zambézia Province, and in Chimanimani National Park, supported by the CBDC Project.