Around 25 members of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), private sector representatives and government officials were trained on the implementation of biodiversity offsets in Mozambique (Ministerial Diploma No. 55/2022 of 19 May). The event, promoted by the COMBO+ Programme—a partnership between the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS-Mozambique) and the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND)—took place on 27 November 2024 at Maputo National Park (PNAM).

This training aimed to build the participants’ capacity and raise awareness about the content of the Directive on Biodiversity Offsets in Mozambique (Ministerial Diploma No. 55/2022 of 19 May), as well as the use of its Implementation Manual, and to share experiences and lessons learned from the Pilot Project simulating the implementation of a Biodiversity Offset (known as the Habitat Enhancement Pilot Project), implemented in Maputo National Park (PNAM) in accordance with the guidelines set out in Ministerial Diploma No. 55/2022 of 19 May. With this training, CTA and the private sector become increasingly aware and prepared for active engagement in implementing measures to mitigate biodiversity impacts of development projects through the Mitigation Hierarchy (MH), thereby contributing to aligning economic development with biodiversity conservation.

This training forms part of the capacity-building programme implemented by the COMBO+ programme since 2021, targeting the Biodiversity Offset Assessment and Monitoring Unit (RAACB) of the National Directorate for the Environment (DINAB), the Environmental Impact Assessment Technical Review Committee, academia, the private sector, NGOs and other actors involved in the implementation of biodiversity offsets in Mozambique. More trainings will be conducted to strengthen national capacity, with the next one planned for the financial sector.

The COMBO+ Programme is currently funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM), with co-financing from other donors, including NORAD. In Mozambique, COMBO+ is also funded by the MOZBIO 2 Project (World Bank), UNDP (BIOSFAC and BIOFIN), and the biodiversity conservation programme through the Government of Sweden.