At the end of 2024, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), in partnership with the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), took another important step for the future of environmental preservation in Mozambique by launching a new phase of its Biodiversity Conservation Programme. Funded by the Government of Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), this initiative aims to accelerate the energy transition in the country’s Conservation Areas (CAs).

Three private companies operating in Conservation Areas in the country recently signed financing contracts with BIOFUND: Kambako Safaris (Blocks L8 and L9) and Lugenda Wildlife Reserve – Luwire (Block L7), both located in the Niassa Special Reserve (Niassa and Cabo Delgado provinces), as well as the Vilanculos Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Cabo São Sebastião (Inhambane province). Each project will have a financing limit of USD 50,000 (equivalent to around 3,200,000 meticais), to be repaid within three years.

The main objective is to replace traditional fossil fuel-powered generators with clean energy systems, drastically reducing carbon emissions and significantly lowering the costs associated with transporting fuel to remote and hard-to-reach regions. At the same time, this transformation ensures greater autonomy for the CAs by providing a stable energy supply with low environmental impact.

The joint effort of BIOFUND and SIDA goes beyond the environmental dimension: the energy transition also strengthens the sustainability of conservation operations, contributing to more efficient management of natural resources and aligning Mozambique’s Conservation Areas with global targets to combat climate change. These innovative and replicable solutions are expected to serve as a reference for other reserves, both in Mozambique and across the African continent.

With the support of the Government of Sweden through SIDA, BIOFUND reaffirms its commitment to the protection and sustainable development of national biodiversity, demonstrating that it is possible to reconcile the conservation of natural heritage with progress and economic efficiency. This milestone represents an opportunity for transformation and a model of inspiration for future environmental initiatives in the country and beyond