After 5 years of editions of the Biodiversity Exhibition, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) brought together partners, donors and volunteers in a debate about the previous editions, and the prospects for new approaches to the Biodiversity Exhibition

The meeting was held virtually, through the Zoom platform, and about 40 people took part.

For two hours, in addition to the lessons learnt, the participants exchanged ideas about the future of the exhibition, with a stress on restructuring it, so that it becomes a national and more interactive event. A further aspect raised in the meeting concerned the use of new publicity tools, as a way of making the exhibition more comprehensive.

To watch the recording of the meeting, click here

Do you have any innovative ideas about the Biodiversity Exhibition and would like to share them with BIOFUND? Send an email to info@biofund.org.mz

This is the second group of young graduates selected within the scope of the 1st Edition of the PLCM Internship Program that began their activities in the Conservation Areas on September 9, 2020, for period of six months – observing the entire protocol of hygiene and safety established for the prevention of COVID-19.

The activities will be carried out in five Conservation Areas, namely: Total Protection Area of Cabo São Sebastião, Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Zinave National Park, Banhine National Park, and Limpopo National Park.

This program aims to motivate and attract young graduates to the national conservation system and to peak their interest in working in Biodiversity Conservation. Carolina Hunguana, PLCM Coordinator, said that “the program selected trainees with knowledge in biological, natural, human, social and other sciences as a way of showing that the Conservation sector is comprehensive and needs the contribution of different areas of knowledge. “

Cadaito Aly Baraca, graduated in Tourism from Eduardo Mondlane University, is an intern at Banhine National Park, he says that “It is with great enthusiasm that through PLCM, I gain the opportunity to apply efforts in favor of improving the living conditions of communities, through the promotion of cyber tourism and biodiversity conservation in Mozambique”.

It should be noted that the internships were initially scheduled to begin in March 2020, having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira Fund, which seeks to recognise and reward the courage and dedication of the rangers of the Conservation Areas in Mozambique,has just received a new contribution to its capital, to the value of two million meticais, from the company AVM Consultores, represented by Adamo Valy.

As previously announced, the Fund was set up on the basis of a complete donation of the monetary part of the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa– 50,000 pounds sterling, which Tusk International granted in 2019 to Dr Carlos Lopes Pereira, the Director of the Protection and Inspection Services of the National Administration of the Conservation Areas (ANAC).

BIOFUND decided to add value to this selfless gesture by Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira by contributing for its part a further 50,000 pounds – which allowed the Fund to count on an initial capital equivalent to 8.6 million meticais.

AVM has thus become the first national institution to join this initiative, responding to the appeal made publicly by its promoters at the launch of the Fund on 31 July, during the commemorations of World Ranger Day.

As from 2021, the Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira Fund will award prizes to Rangers who have most distinguished themselves in the years. It will also grant support to close relatives of those Rangers who, in the exercise of their duties, lost their lives or were permanently disabled.

Created on August 12^th 2012, with the aim of protecting all elephant species and support for the conservation of the largest terrestrial mammal on the planet, World Elephant Day was designed by Canadian director Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, where the animal is a national symbol.

The largest terrestrial mammal on the planet, weighing up to seven tons, the elephant is highly sought after by poachers because of its ivory.

According to data released by the National Administration for Conservation Areas  (ANAC), since 2009, Mozambique has lost at least 10,000 elephants and in the Niassa Reserve alone, the largest protected area in the country, the total number of elephants has gone from 12,000 in 2011 to just 4 400 in 2014. It should be noted, however, that recent government and private actions in recent years have contributed to dramatically reduce this elephant loss. According to preliminary data from the National Elephant Census (2018), the country has a population of 10,800 individuals.

BIOFUND emphasizes that elephants are extremely important for ecosystems and since 2016 the institution has supported most of the Conservation Areas that host this mammal, namely the Maputo Special Reserve, the Chimanimani National Reserve and the Quirimbas National Parks, Gilé, Banhine, Mágòe, Limpopo and Zinave.

You too can contribute to increased knowledge about its importance and help search for sustainable solutions for the management and conservation of the elephant.

To learn some curiosities about the elephant, visit the BIOFUND and ANAC facebook pages.

Together for the conservation of biodiversity in Mozambique!

The launch of this prize took place on 1 August in Gorongosa National Park, at an event concerning World Ranger Day which is celebrated on 31 July every year.

The fund is due to the initiative of Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira, Director of the Protection and Inspection Services of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) who, after he was granted, in 2019, the “Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa”, awarded by Tusk International, donated the monetary part of this prize of 50,000 pounds sterling for the constitution of a fund to support Mozambican rangers. The management of this fund has been entrusted to BIOFUND which, for its part, has contributed a further 50,000 pounds. This means that the initial capital corresponds to the sum of 8.6 million meticais.

With the objective of recognising the bravery and dedication of the rangers of the Conservation Areas, prizes will be awarded to the rangers who have made the most outstanding contributions during the year. The fund will also support the closest relatives of the rangers who have lost their lives or who were disabled in the performance of their duties.

During the ceremony, the Foundation for theConservation of Biodiversity, represented by its Executive Director,Luís Bernardo Honwana, said that this fund,to be known as the Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira Fund, will award not monetary prizes, but also diplomas of honour.

Currently,BIOFUND is working to publicise the fund, to establish synergies, and to raise more national and international contributions to guarantee the growth of the fund.

To find out more about the Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira Fund, click here

It is a day to recognize across the globe the contribution of this group of professionals, who play a crucial role for conservation of biodiversity. The rangers work directly inside the conservation areas and their buffer zones to ensure the protection of wildlife, working day and night in often precarious conditions.

BIOFUND – The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity –channels most of its financial support to the Conservation Areas to improvements in the working condition for the rangers, depending on the specific needs of each Conservation Area beneficiary.

As part of the celebrations of World Ranger Day, an official ceremony will take place tomorrow August 1st, in the Gorongosa National Park. The event is led by the National Conservation Areas Administration (ANAC) and will be chaired by the Minister of Land and Environment (MTA), with the participation of BIOFUND among other conservation partners.

On the occasion, BIOFUND will premiere a documentary in homage to the rangers of the protected areas, honouring them all for World Ranger Day.

Watch the ranger’s video here!

In order to guarantee their jobs and cover the wage costs of the rangers and staff who are indispensable for supporting inspection of the conservation areas during the period of crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) announced on Wednesday a fund of three million dollars that will help pay the wages of about a thousand rangers in conservation areas, under public and private management, which have seen their income fall as a result of the lack of visitors since the Covid-19 pandemic exploded across the globe.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on revenue in various sectors of activity, and tourism is one of the areas most affected, due to the restrictions on people entering and leaving the country, as well as on the domestic circulation of people, Thus there are enormous uncertainties for the operators of these sectors.

Named the “Emergency BIO-FUND”, with the motto “Protecting Natural Resources in Times of Crisis”, the direct support for the operators of conservation areas will be implemented in two phases. The first will provide direct support to the public sector to cover the wage costs of approximately 150 public sector rangers, and the second phase will cover 800 rangers in the private sector.

According to Luís Bernardo Honwana, the Executive Director of BIOFUND, “currently the sector faces the great problem of maintaining the entire structure of guarding our natural assets when it does not have the income that derives from tourism”. Honwana thus considers that this constitutes a situation of crisis, and “as a solution, BIOFUND has decided to set up this fund so that it can support the operators of the conservation areas so that they can continue with their work of inspection”.

For his part, Jorge Ferrão, of the BIOFUND Board of Directors, stressed that “the first phase of this emergency fund should last for six months, and will be followed by a second phase that will be more comprehensive in terms of its duration and the support to be provided, depending on the evolution of the pandemic in the country”.

Although this action is temporary, particularly for this period of crisis caused by the pandemic, the private operators regard the BIOFUND initiative with great satisfaction, since many of the communities living alongside the conservation areas depend directly on the revenue coming from those areas.

“All the conservation areas under private sector management have thousands of people in resident communities whose first opportunity of employment comes from the operator beside them, and afterwards comes the wild life which belongs to the State and to all of us”, argues Pacheco Faria, of the Mozambican Association of Safari Operators.

“After the initial studies and surveys, we decided to support ANAC and operators representing at least nine conservation areas under private management and all the public conservation areas.

After the initial period, will come the phase which could last longer depending on the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been shaking the country since March this year. The fund operated by BIOFUND, in partnership with the national Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) and he Mozambican Association of Safari Operators (AMOS) could benefit 19 national parks and reserves, 20 official hunting areas and a variety of other categories of hunting areas, existing in 14 important ecological regions of the country.

The French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Fund for the Global Environment (FFEM), in partnership with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, are launching a new project to improve the balance between the conservation of biodiversity and ruraldevelopment in the Chimanimani National Reserve.

This is a project, with a duration of four years, which seeks to guarantee the conservation of biodiversity and to ensure the sustainable development of the communities in the Chimanimani National Reserve. The project is the result of a new subvention to the value of 4.2 million euros, financed by AFD and FFEM in partnership with BIOFUND.

In the component of conservation of biodiversity, the projectwill support reduction in deforestation through guaranteeing the community land rights of the populations living in the 12 villages of the buffer zone, and strengthening the involvement of the local population in managing the natural resources.

On the other hand, the project seeks to promote the inclusion of women in the community representation bodies through issuing land titles (DUATs) to households headed by women, alone and together with their spouses, and to raise the awareness of women and of the community to the land rights of women.

In the same context, an ecological restoration pilot area will be set upand a mechanism for the ranking of compensation for the impacts on biodiversity of that Conservation Area will be tested, with the support of BIOFUND.

For further information, see the Press Release link

Today, 26 July, the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystems, is celebrated worldwide. In Mozambique the celebration is marked by the call for everyone to contribute to the conservation of mangroves.

Mangrove forests are a coastal ecosystem in transition between the terrestrial and marine environment that has specific adaptations to respond to the extreme conditions of salinity, winds, and tidal cycle to which they are continuously exposed.

Mangroves are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. They are habitats for several marine species and it is estimated that ¾ of the species of commercial fishing importance depend on mangroves for their development.

Mangroves are responsible for providing fundamental environmental resources and services, ensuring the environmental integrity of the coastal strip, providing food, protecting local communities from extreme weather events, storing large amounts of carbon in the soil, and contributing to the mitigation of climate change impacts.

Mozambique has about 300,000 ha of mangrove forests, the third largest mangrove forest cover in Africa and the largest coverage on the continent’s eastern coast. In the country, mangrove forests occur in clusters along the entire coastline, being more abundant in the central and northern regions.

Despite their importance, mangroves in Mozambique are vulnerable to a number of threats from human activity. Mozambique recently took an important step in managing this key resource, approving the National Mangrove Management Strategy, the first legal instrument guiding the management and sustainable use of mangroves.

BIOFUND recognizes that mangroves are unique and vulnerable ecosystems and since 2018, have been supporting all the country’s conservation areas with mangrove forests. BIOFUND joins the International Mangroves Day celebrations to increase awareness of their importance and seek sustainable solutions for their management and conservation.

The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) on 14 July 2020 held the 3rd meeting of the Steering Committee of the Mozambique Leadership for Conservation Programme – PLCM.

The main objective of the event was to present the main activities undertaken by the PLCM during the first six months of 2020, and the prospects for activities for the second half of the year, considering the challenges imposed by COVID-19 which has affected significantly the activities envisaged for the year.

During the meeting, the members of the Steering Committee approved the resumption of some activities that had been paralysed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular note was approval of the resumption of internships and research in the Conservation Areas, which will begin soon, considered on a case by case basis, and respecting all the hygiene and safety measures established by the health authorities in the fight against COVID-19.

It should be mentioned that the Steering Committee of the PLCM is a body that seeks to guarantee that various programme actions should be accompanied, as well as providing strategic guidance that guarantees legitimacy and quality of the programme results. The body consists of 12 members who represent the institutions of the National System of Conservation Area (SNAC), the Government, academic and professional training institutions, National and International NGOs, and the private sector.

This body meets twice a year, at the end of each six month period. Due to the global health situation, imposed by the COVID 19 pandemic,the meeting took place in a virtual manner, through the Zoom communication platform.

The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, promoted a contest called “Films for Awareness” celebrated on the 8th of June, under the motto “Innovation for Sustainability of the Oceans: Clean Sea, Protected Ecosystem”. The contest was led by the first group of interns of the Leadership Program for the Conservation of Mozambique – PLCM

For the contest, children aged between 13 and 17 were challenged to make a short movie from home about the importance of the oceans.

The contest had a total of 26 participants who underwent two evaluations, a preliminary evaluation made by an internal jury, where the top 6 were picked to go to a public evaluation, carried out through counting likes on the PLCM’s FACEBOOK page, with this vote determining the 3 winners of the contest. Overall, more than 1500 people participated in this process!

First place was awarded to 13-year-old Fiona Romeu Chaúque, a 9^th Class student residing in the Province of Gaza, specifically in Chokwé District. Happy to be the winner, Fiona Chaúque commented: “It is rewarding to participate in contests like these, which aim to transform our minds regarding our care for the oceans“.

Second place was awarded to 14-year-old Délia Chaúque, a 10^th class student, residing in Gaza Province, Chokwé District. Delia Chaúque also could not hide her satisfaction, saying that she feels very happy and honored to be one of the winners of this important contest for the conservation of the oceans.

And Third place went to Shelton Feliciano, 16 years old, a 10^th Class student, residing in the City of Maputo. For Shelton Feliciano, the participation in the contest was an opportunity to show the importance of biodiversity conservation for nature and for the society that inhabits it.

Through this initiative, the participants showed what they know about the importance of the oceans and helped raise awareness of the public to choose a responsible posture, avoiding some improper practices that harm the oceans.

The contest was created with the aim of involving young people as agents of awareness in raising awareness about the importance of the oceans in our daily lives and the need for their conservation.

Congratulations to all for a beautiful job!

Watch the video of the winners of the contest here!

The pre-launch of the Mozambique Conservation Leadership Program (PLCM) was held from 4 to 11 June 2020 in partnership with ANAC, the Gorongosa National Park and WWF. The main objective of this initiative was to attract young people from different parts of the country to the Biodiversity Conservation Sector in Mozambique.

More than 400 participants took part in the event, mostly young people who came from all provinces in the country, as well as professionals from various organisations of the Conservation Sector.

The first session was marked by a vigorous debate on the challenges facing conservation professionals, led by panellists Berta Guambe, from the Gorongosa National Park, Paulo Barros, from the National Administration of Conservation Areas – ANAC, and Lara Muaves, of WWF Mozambique. The debate was moderated by Denise Nicolau of BIOFUND. The panellists had the opportunity to share their personal experiences, stressing their humility, perseverance, audacity, and passion for conservation.

“To be a conservationist is to exceed your expectations, it is to be persevering and humble“. Stressed Lara Muaves, one of the panellists. They also shared the various opportunities that their organisations have undertaken with the special involvement of young people.

The second session, at which the panellists were the PLCM beneficiaries in the various activities of internship, research subventions and volunteering, centred on the sharing of experiences and on the motivation of the beneficiaries in contributing to the conservation of biodiversity.

Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, the event was held through the digital platforms Zoom Webinar and Facebook Live of PLCM. As a result of the success of the event, BIOFUND will continue to bank on further similar sessions of debate and sharing of experiences, contributing towards greater involvement of young people in conservation.

Watch the recording of the event through the Facebook link.

Today, June 16, is World Sea Turtle Day. This day is especially dedicated to highlight the importance of these wonderful animals.

Known as sentinels of the seas, turtles play a fundamental role in the marine ecosystems. As a “keystone species”, their grazing and feeding on a diverse range of other species, from jellyfish (leatherbacks) to sponges (hawksbills) to seagrasses (green turtles), they shape the environment around them and help maintain healthy coral reefs and other marine ecosystems, which in turn produce a multitude of benefits to humans as well.

As part of its contribution to the conservation of biodiversity, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, contributes to the preservation of Sea Turtles by supporting the monitoring of these animals in all the marine Conservation Areas in the country, such as in the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, São Sebastião Sanctuary and Quirimbas National Park.

The Board of Directors of BIOFUND approved at its last meeting an emergency plan of up to three million dollars to help mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19 in the conservation sector.

This support is intended to help maintain the jobs of up to 950 of the 1,600  rangers in the National System of Conservation Areas, so as to guarantee the preservation of the country’s biodiversity during a phase in which the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are seriously affecting the conservation sector.

In our country, the sectors most affected by the extreme measures which had to be adopted to hold back the spread of infections by the new coronavirus are tourism and the hotel and restaurant industry. According to recent data, more than 22,000 people working in leisure and tourism in Mozambique have lost their jobs.

However, reducing frontline staff cannot be an option in the National System of Conservation Areas, where protecting the natural assets has to be permanent. Without the presence of the rangers, the slaughter of endangered wildlife species and the illegal logging of precious hardwoods might rise to even higher levels than those we experienced in the recent past.

In the public sector it is unlikely that this dismantling of the protection of Conservation Areas will occur since the majority of rangers, guards and agents who work there are state employees or work with contracts that cannot be summarily terminated – regardless of the crisis situation.

The same cannot be said of the private sector where the lack of any revenues may well lead to the reduction of staff or the temporary suspension of their contracts.

Currently, the private sector manages 67% of the area formally protected in the country, covering approximately 14 million hectares. More than half of the country’s rangers are employed by the private sector. Paradoxically, this sector is not generally considered in the measures to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, because the companies responsible for their management, as for-profit entities, are not a priority in the distribution of emergency funds, despite the significant importance of the areas they managefor the national biodiversity conservation targets.

The emergency plan that BIOFUND has just adopted has two phases:

• An initial phase, for immediate application, under which a non-reimbursable support fund is made available to private conservation operators, to cover the payment of three to six months’ wages to the rangers. An additional amount will also be made available to cover the wages of the relatively few rangers in the publicly managed areas currently paid out of ANAC revenues, which have also evaporated due to the crisis.
• A second phase, with the granting of reimbursable and non-reimbursable support for the payment of wages and other forms of support to the conservation areas, as in Phase One – as well as support for the communities in the immediate surroundings which, because of the COVID-19 crisis, have lost some of their habitual revenue.

The total value of this Emergency Fund could reach 3 million dollars in the next 6 to 18 months.

With the support it channels to protected areas under State management, BIOFUND was already providing benefits to about 5 million hectares of the national territory. With the new fund, it will now be supporting about 19 million hectares.

Contacts

Av. Tomás Nduda, n° 1038

Maputo – Moçambique

Tel: +258 21 499 958

E-mail: info@biofund.org.mz

Website: biofund.org.mz

The virtual exhibition is part of the event to celebrate World Oceans Day, celebrated today, June 8, 2020, under the motto “Innovation and Sustainability of the Ocean: Clean Sea, Protected Ecosystem”.

The marine ecosystem in Mozambique is under pressure due to human activities which directly affect the oceans. The photographic exhibition, with themes related to marine ecosystems, is focused on drawing attention to the important role of the oceans in the lives of human beings and to highlight human practices which harm the oceans.

In coastal ecosystems, mangroves are responsible for much of the marine and coastal productivity (fish, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.). They are also critical for the stability of the coastal zone, contributing to the protection of the coast against erosion, and for the quality of sea water, where mangroves function as filters.

In Mozambique, mangroves are one of the most abundant vegetation formations, covering about 300 thousand hectares, most prominently in the provinces of Nampula, Zambézia and Sofala.

The event has been organized by the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries – MIMAIP in partnership with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, WWF Mozambique, USAID / SPEED +, Academics and members of local communities. In addition to the virtual exhibition, the organizers have prepared a Tele-school session and will also announce of the winners of the “Filmar para Sensibilizar” contest promoted by BIOFUND, in which young Mozambicans made short videos about the importance of the Oceans.

World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June of each year with the aim of raising awareness in the general population to implement practices that help to preserve the environment.

In this scope of celebration, young people with diverse academic backgrounds, currently doing internships with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, the National Administration of Conservation Areas – ANAC and with Centro Terra Viva – CTV, through the Leadership Program for the Conservation of Mozambique – PLCM, met to promote awareness activities for the protection and preservation of the Environment.

These young people show that it is possible to contribute to the preservation of the Environment through small gestures such as planting trees, reducing water consumption, among other actions.

World Environment Day was declared on June 5, 1972, during the Stockholm Conference, with the main objective of raising the awareness of countries and the population in general to observe sustainable ways of dealing with environmental issues and to establish guiding principles of environmental policy across the planet.

World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on June 8th. The purpose of the day is to inform the public about the impact of the human actions on the oceans, and developing a worldwide movement for managing sustainable oceans.

Under the motto “Innovation and Sustainability of the Ocean: Clean Seas, Protected Ecosystems” , the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries – MIMAIP in partnership with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND , WWF Mozambique, USAID / SPEED + , Academics and members of local communities , amongst others, are organizing the celebration of this event in Mozambique, which will comprise a series of events that will take place from June 4^th-8^th.

There will be 5 days marked by various activities such as exhibitions, debates, lessons, contests and videos on the importance of marine biodiversity on the planet and the need for its protection. This event will be broadcast on national television, distance-learning platforms and social networks (see the program  here).

In the context of Covid-19, in accordance with the rules of social distancing, the event will be broadcast through digital platforms, especially national television and radio (TVM , STV and RM) as well as via  social networks , representing an opportunity for  reflection on the crucial role  we all play  in the conservation of the oceans.

Within the scope of the event, the  “Filmar para Sensibilizar” (Filming for Awareness) contest  is taking place for young people aged 13 – 17 on the importance of the Oceans, organized by BIOFUND. Public voting on the videos can be made on the Facebook page of the Mozambique Conservation Leadership Program – PLCM.

We would also like to highlight the  online event  “Virtual Ocean Dialogues” https://www.weforum.org/events/virtual-ocean-dialogues-2020 to be held June 1^st-5^th with more than 40 different sessions, including several debates on Marine Protected Areas, which is open to all interested parties .

For more details about the event check out the media platforms BIOFUND and MIMAIP .

Today, the 22nd of May, is the International Day of Biodiversity, the date established by the United Nations (UN), on 22 May 1992, celebrated with the aim of raising awareness among the world’s population about the importance of Conserving our Biological Diversity.

The date was established in honor of the day the final text of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) was approved, entitled: “Nairobi Final Act by the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity”.

Every year, a number of environmental awareness activities are carried out to draw attention to the various human activities that harm the biological basis of nature. In 2020, the date is celebrated at a time when the world and our country in particular are going through a critical moment because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a zoonotic disease that has already decimated thousands of human lives worldwide.

In the context of this pandemic, it is important to reflect on all the actions that endanger not only our safety, but also of all other species that make up the Biological Diversity of our planet.

This activity aims to expose young interns to the challenges inherent to the Conservation Areas, as well as to contribute to the resolution of different problems, in particular, Human – Wildlife conflict.

During the first round of the PLCM Internship Program, HagnésioChiponde, a young  graduate in veterinary medicine fromUniversidade Eduardo Mondlane, was assignedto the National Administration of Conservation Areas, in the Department of Protection and Inspection, and joined the inspection team of the Maputo Special Reserve for a period of timeto participate in the management of Human – Elephant conflict.

Hagnésio had the opportunity to participate in activities related to the development and implementation of a program to drive away elephants from the community areas and back into the reserve, such as mapping the routes elephants use, fencing some areas and researching the effectiveness of some of the techniques that the reserve intends to adopt to scare off the animals. In this context, the young intern assists in the tasks of tracking and immobilizing animals such as elephants and buffalo for placing collars, collecting samples and patrolling the reserve, contributing to the fight against poaching.

Hagnésio Chiponde, emphasized that he is gaining an extraordinary experience in conservation, saying: “It has been an interesting experience! In this internship I acquired excellent knowledge, but the most import thing is working in an area that not only allows me contact with wildlife, butis also helping the community”.

The PLCM is implemented by BIOFUND, integrated within the Mozbio2 project. The programaims to strengthen the capacity and skills of professionals in the National System of Conservation Areas (SNAC) and to shape the profile of future conservation leaders in Mozambique.

Around 100,000 pounds will be allocated to the creation of a mechanism to reward and create an emergency fund, from 2020, that will benefit the professionals that oversee the Conservation Areas of Mozambique

The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND) will invest the initial fund and will contribute £50,000 to the initiative, which is the result of an initial donation made by Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira, in the same amount, with the aim of making a note of the commitment of this class of professionals.

This fund will have other additional support and will be invested locally. Thus, the return on the investment of the total will be used to launch two categories of awards that aim to highlight the best professionals.

The first category, associated with a monetary value of 60,000MT, consists of the award of the exemplary ranger through a lifetime recognition award to individuals who stand out for their dedication and exceptional commitment to their work, having contributed for many years to surveillance and conservation protection activities in Mozambique.

The second prize, associated with a monetary value of 15 000 MT, will be for the ranger of the year, in recognition of the dedication and bravery of the inspectors who risk their daily lives for the protection of the species of fauna, flora and habitats of the Conservation Areas in Mozambique. The prize will be awarded annually to rangers who excel in their work and personal attitude, scrutinized by a technical evaluation committee composed by BIOFUND and ANAC.

In the same context, the Rangers Support and Recognition Fund will also provide resources, totalizing 20 000MT, to give Emergency Assistance for family members of the rangers who have lost their lives or become disable in the course of carrying out their duties

The Fund is sponsored by Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira who, in recognition of his passion and dedication in leading conservation, was awarded the “Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa” in 2019 including a monetary component of 50 thousand pounds.

The aim of this strategy is to maintain or enhance biodiversity, the values and function of the mangrove ecosystem in order to meet the needs of environmental protection in estuaries and coastal areas.

This document was designed to combat and reverse the situation of degradation and destruction of the mangrove ecosystem in the country, and it is also intended that this instrument adds value to the efforts that have been developed to drive and guide the regulation of rights, duties and obligations regarding the sustainable use of the mangrove ecosystem in Mozambique.

The strategic lines of this document also aim to contribute to minimize the effects of global warming by contributing to the increase of carbon sequestration and storage in the atmosphere and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the ODS’s 13 and 14.

BIOFUND’s collaboration is part of a series of efforts that the institution has undertaken with a view to encouraging the creation of a favourable framework for the protection of mangroves in Mozambique. It should be remembered that Mozambique is the 13th country with the largest mangrove coverage in the world. Some studies indicate that the country has about 396.080 ha, with occurrence of this species in the coastal area of the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Zambézia, Sofala, Inhambane, Gaza (Limpopo River estuary) and Maputo.

In this context, in recent years, the Foundation has made a major contribution to the protection of mangroves in conservation areas, the creation of legal regulatory instruments, the promotion of scientific research for the inclusion of mangroves in biodiversity counterbalancing schemes and payments for ecosystem services, and the holding of environmental awareness-raising events on their ecological and socio-economic relevance to the country.

BIOFUND is proud to have participated in the process of elaboration of this instrument, together with the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Water and Fisheries and all parties involved and reiterates its commitment to the conservation of mangroves and their biodiversity in Mozambique.

Para mais informações visite o site:

https://www.biofund.org.mz/projects/programa-de-contrabalancos-de-biodiversidade/

https://www.biofund.org.mz/biblioteca_virtual/

Ten PLCM trainees have been integrated into its sites since 2nd March 2020. This is the first group, with three integrated in BIOFUND, five in the National Administration of Conservation Areas-ANAC and two in the Centro Terra Viva-CTV.

“It is important that humans conserve and use natural resources sustainably so that future generations have the same privileges. It is with this in mind that I decided to compete for the Leadership for Conservation Program, in order to acquire skills and methods to protect ecosystems, especially wild animals, and contribute to a good environment for coexistence between man and these animals,” said with enthusiasm the young Hagnesio Chiponde, graduated in Veterinary – PLCM trainee at ANAC.

We recall that one of the objectives of the Leadership Program for Conservation of Mozambique (PLCM) is to motivate and attract young people to Conservation in Mozambique.

In this context, the trainees were integrated in different professional areas, in the multidisciplinary perspective of the program, including areas such as: conservation of biodiversity; trade in endangered and endangered species; monitoring and evaluation; communication; veterinary; sport hunting; among others.

40% of the members of this first group are women, highlighting the fact that the program also seeks to stimulate greater gender equity in the conservation sector, in a context where the number of women professionals in this area is still quite small.

PLCM hopes that the success of the pre-professional internship program will be a strong contribution to the learning of skills and knowledge necessary for the beginning of a career in conservation.

Meanwhile, due to the current OVID-19 pandemic, in consultation with its partners, BIOFUND has taken the decision to suspend all activities not yet initiated in the Mozambique Conservation Leadership Program, especially those that would take place in the Conservation Areas, scheduled until April 30th (professional internships, research grants, scholarships and participation or organization of environmental awareness events). As warned in the announcement circulated on 23 March, the continuity of activities already initiated will be analysed on a case-by-case basis and in coordination with their supervisors.

COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) – in the context of measures to prevent the spread of this pandemic that plagues the world, and with some cases already confirmed in Mozambique, BIOFUND, in alignment with its socially responsible posture, and with the aim of avoiding a potential spread of Coronavirus, decided to proceed with the following measures:

1. To continue the different administrative and financial activities, as far as possible, and
   using the different technological resources at its disposal;
2. To create the conditions for the different programmes to be able to monitor their
   employees from their homes.
3. Correspondence may be sent by scan via the emails below, the reply will be sent by the
   same route.

BIOFUND hereby reiterates its commitment to its beneficiaries, stating that the funding activities and the implementation of its procedures are still in force, having only adapted electronic and remote access procedures.

BIOFUND will re-evaluate the need to adopt new measures in accordance with government directives.

We would like to recommend to all our partners, employees and beneficiaries the utmost caution and sanitary care in relation to the mitigation of the propagation of COVID-19.

BIOFUND contacts in case of need are:

sabande@biofund.org.mz * Tel.: 846960484
sbande@biofund.org.mz * Te.: 846155213

Took place on Wednesday, March 04 at Hotel Meliã, in Maputo City the launch of the campaign with the title “Poaching Steals from Us All“.

It is a campaign designed by the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) and the non-governmental organization WILDAID, in order to raise awareness in society for the prevention and combating of poaching. As ambassadors, the campaign includes Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic, the musicians Stewart Sukuma, Lizha James and King Sweet. The Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation (BIOFUND) and other non-governmental organisations, which take care of biodiversity conservation, have joined the initiative.

In the opening session of the launch of the campaign, the Minister of Land and Environment highlighted the importance of biodiversity conservation by pointing out that, used in a sustainable way, species of fauna and flora can contribute significantly to the economic and social development of the country. Former President Joaquim Chissano, reinforced this thought by stating that “…to conserve the fauna is to conserve our own environment”.

The campaign is launched as part of the World Wildlife Day Celebration, which takes place on 3^rd of  March each year, a date decreed by the United Nations (UN), with the aim of celebrating the multiplicity of species on a planetary level, as well as warning of the danger that threatens the world’s fauna and flora

BIOFUND’s participation is also related to the PROMOVE Biodiversity project, focusing on Zambezia and Nampula provinces, in partnership with the European Union (EU), which includes strengthening the management capacity of some Conservation Areas, with emphasis on improving monitoring and patrol capacity.

The seminar for the induction of the members of the 9th legislature of the Mozambican Parliament took place between the 17th and 19th February 2020 and, in this context, on the 18th the discussions were around issues related to the conservation of biodiversity, with a view to broaden and facilitate the dissemination of information on the problem of climate change, at a global level and its incidence in countries like Mozambique.

BIOFUND took the initiative to propose the issue to the Portuguese Parliament, its materialisation being the result of a joint work with the National Administration of Conservation Areas and partners such as USAID/SPEED+, WWF, UEM, FNDS, and World Bank, with financial support of  USAID/SPEED+ and European Union.

For an hour and a half there was a succession of presentations held by: Abdul Magide Osman, BIOFUND’s Board Chair , who spoke on “Climate Change, Impact and Responses”; Alexandra Jorge, BIOFUND’s Programme Director, presenting movies on “The Importance of Biodiversity”; Mateus Mutemba, ANAC’s General Director, reporting on the “National System of Conservation Areas” and relevant legislation; and Carlos Serra, an environmentalist, speaking on “Cities, Sensitive Ecosystems and Resilience to Climate Change”, closed the cycle.

In his presentation, which served as a baseline to the session, Magid Osman stressed the fact that Mozambique is located in an area of the globe where the effects of climate change are most sensitive, with many cases of loss of territory due to rising sea levels. He explained that since this is a problem that has no simple answer, what is required is a revolution of collective mentality. Every government´s action must have a climate change response component.

Carlos Serra’s intervention, dramatically illustrated the impacts of climate change that are already sensitive in various parts of the country and underlined the fact that human action, such as the destruction of mangroves and the occupation of dunes and wetlands, affecting coastal ecosystems, is contributing to the worsening of the situation. In his view, the laws already exist but are little publicised and need further implementation.

Reacting to the different presentations, Ms Telmina Pereira, from Frelimo party, highlighted the fact that it was the first time she had heard so objectively about the impact of climate change in Mozambique. She stressed the need for an urgent response and recalled the important role that she plays in educating minds, such as through parliamentary days. She suggested a greater sharing of information but with the caution of using a more simplified language in order to better reach communities.

For its turn, Mr Venâncio Mondlane of Renamo party said that in his view the big problem with biodiversity conservation is not the behaviour of communities but that of individuals from the ruling classes who ostensibly ignore, for example, the ban on building in wetlands, particularly in mangrove areas. Mondlane has proposed rethinking the penalties for environmental crimes, which often, because of their scale, should enter the scale of crimes against humanity.

The session established that, already outside the induction programme for Members, BIOFUND will organise new activities to update information and deepen some of the issues raised.

The Government of Mozambique through the National Administration of Conservation Areas, ANAC, carries out from 10 to 16 February several activities to mark the commemorations of World Pangolim Day, which is celebrated internationally on the third Saturday of February, this year on February 15.

The activities that take place with the support of partners such as USAID, through the SPEED+ Project, WWF, BIOFUND, NATURA, WildAid, WCS and Gorongosa National Park, include lectures at two primary schools in Maputo city, photographic exhibitions about the pangolim, projection of film, in addition to debates promoted with the purpose of raising awareness of society on the urgent need to protect that mammal which is, according to the World Wildlife Union, the most trafficked in the world.

Speaking at the event to launch the celebrations, the Director General of ANAC, Mateus Mutemba, revealed that 31 cases of frustrated trafficking of pangolins were recorded throughout the country during the past year, targeting the Asian black market. In view of the growing scenario of cases, Mateus Mutemba, reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Mozambique in the protection of animals including pangolin, a fact that translates, among other activities, into the improvement of the legal framework and control of illegal exploitation of wildlife resources.

Aligning in the same tuning fork, Director of Protection and Surveillance Services of ANAC, Lopes Perreira, revealed that in the last 16 years there has been a significant increase in cases of trafficking of pangolim, with 2019 being the worst year of trafficking of mammals, where from February to July, 48.9 tons of pangolim were confiscated by the authorities.

Sensitized by these growing numbers, Gorongosa National Park, PNG, created the Pangolim Rehabilitation Center to care for pangolins rescued from animal trafficking operations. António Tonecas, a veterinarian assigned to Gorongosa National Park, revealed that 31 pangolins were recovered and reinserted into their natural habitat.

USAID’s National Director, Jennifer Adams, assured that the American people remain committed to the fight against animal trafficking, including the African pangolin. As a result of this commitment, USAID works with the government to develop different legal instruments to train prosecutors, judges and inspectors in technical knowledge about the procedure in cases of animal trafficking.

Following society’s awareness activities on pangolin, the Mutumbela Gugu group presented a play on the importance of pangolin in the ecosystem that urges the population to quickly report cases of transport, hunting and marketing of the mammal.

The students of Eduardo Mondlane Primary School, on the outskirts of Maputo City, were enthusiastic about the play as well as the lectures that took place in that educational institution.

“It was a different and creative way of teaching us about the importance of pangolim,” confessed António Pinto, a seventh grade student at that school.

Márcia Moisés, a student who has never before heard of and seen pangolim, praised the initiative.

“I learned that we have to denounce it at the police station whenever we see someone trafficking the pangolin,” said the sixth grade student.

It is on display from 13 to 16 this week in Baia and City Mall, in Maputo city, a photographic exhibition that portrays the pangolim. Another photographic exhibition will be on display at City Mall in the lower part of the city.

Around EUR 283 thousand is the amount of the first disbursement that BIOFUND will make to support the translocation of animals and the reinforcement of inspection patrols in the Gilé National Reserve by the end of the second quarter of 2020.

The amount referred to corresponds to the first instalment of direct support to the consortium between the Gilé Reserve administration and the IGF. This is the materialisation of the actual start-up of the activities of the PROMOVE Biodiversity Programme, after the final approval of the grant contract between the European Union and BIOFUND, in the amount of EUR 10.2 million, at the end of 2019.

Around EUR 3.5m will be disbursed during 2020 to finance the Gilé National Reserve, the First and Second Islands Environmental Protection Area and Mount Mabu in the context of the PROMOVE Biodiversity programme. The overall objective is to protect biodiversity and contribute to the improvement of the livelihoods of rural communities in the areas of coverage through the sustainable management of natural resources in the target areas in Nampula and Zambezia provinces in Mozambique.

In this context, three public tenders will be launched in 2020 for APAIPS, Mabu and Gilé grants, with the latter only concerning the community development component.

It should be remembered that the Programme’s goal is to achieve the following results:

• To implement initiatives and strategies for the sustainable management of natural resources and conservation of biodiversity, around target areas;
• Improve the livelihoods of local communities living within or outside conservation areas, biodiversity in a sustainable manner; and
• Conduct and disseminate specific participatory research and studies on natural resource management to influence management, and policies at local and national levels.

BIOFUND received with deep sadness the news of the death of JOSÉ DIAS DOS SANTOS MOHAMEDE, Administrator of the Gilé National Reserve, one of the Conservation Areas with which it has been collaborating closely, as one of the first beneficiaries of the Abelha Project (support to Conservation Areas – AFD/BIOFUND funding), as more recently one of the main beneficiaries of the Program Promove Biodiversity (European Union funding). JOSÉ DIAS’ contribution to the consolidation of the National System of Conservation Areas is unmeasurable: JOSÉ DIAS was a member of the founding team of Quirimbas National Park (PNQ) and the National Administration of Conservation Areas; he left with us the legacy of creating one of the largest Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) in the world, the Rovuma TFCA linking Quirimbas, Niassa Reserve with Sellous and Siringuetti in Tanzania. JOSÉ DIAS’ bravery in combating poaching and illegal logging will always be remembered with nostalgia.

JOSÉ DIAS dedicated most of his life to the cause of conservation, always with great professionalism, commitment, determination and humility.

Let us send our condolences to the bereaved family, colleagues and the Mozambique conservation group.

BIOFUND’s Board of Directors approved this Wednesday, 11th of December 2019, the doubling of the institution’s budget for 2020, from about USD 4.6 million to USD 8.4 million, of which about 5.6 million USD will be allocated to support Conservation Areas and Environmental Protection.

This coverage will represent significant growth considering that, since its public launch in 2015, BIOFUND has disbursed around US $ 3 million to strengthen the Conservation Areas law enforcement capacity. One of the highlights in 2019 was the additional support for Conservation Areas affected by Idai and Keneth cyclones.

A substantial part of this financing activity comes from BIOFUND’s own resources, from income based on its endowment of about $35 million, resulting from a substantial contribution from the German Development Bank (KFW), the Mozambican government through Global Environment Fund (GEF) and Conservation International.

The board meeting focused primarily on aspects related to its investment strategy and the 2020 business plan, highlighting the growing need to drive awareness on the required protection of marine areas in the context of climate change.

“The coming year will be marked by the entry of new donors such as the European Union, the solidification of innovative financing mechanisms and the implementation of a structuring program that aims to strengthen the capacities and skills of professionals in the Mozambique´s National Conservation Areas System (SNAC), train and motivate qualified young people to engage in conservation leadership” said Luis Bernardo Honwana, Executive Director of BIOFUND.

Remember that BIOFUND is a national private foundation created as a long-term solution to ensure sustainable funding of Conservation Areas, following the norms of the best international practices for Environmental Funds, enshrined in parameters of the CFA (Conservation Finance Alliance) – which recently underwent an independent institutional assessment that highlighted the positive performance of this institution.

This was one of the findings of the COMBO project (2016-2019) evaluation held under the theme Conservation, Impact Mitigation and Biodiversity Offset in Africa, in a partnership between Nature Conservation Society (WCS Mozambique), Biotope and Forest Trends.

The COMBO Project is BIOFUND’s main partner in implementing the Biodiversity Offset Program entitled “Harmonizing Economic Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Mozambique” which has been   collaborating with the Government of Mozambique to develop legal, technical and financial mechanisms to support the implementation of the mitigation hierarchy including biodiversity offsets.

The initiative supports the development of government policies aimed at achieving no net loss or net gain in biodiversity by improving mitigation of the impacts of development projects in Mozambique, Madagascar, Uganda and Guinea.

The final evaluation meeting was held on Ponta do Ouro village in Maputo, from 4^th to 8^th of November, with the participation of more than 50 representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector and multi and bilateral agencies working in Mozambique, Madagascar, Uganda and Guinea and allowed  sharing and exchange of experiences on the challenges and lessons learned during the implementation of the COMBO project in each country, discussions of potential future activities and field visits to potential . biodiversity offsets pilot project implementation areas. It also served to highlight the relevance of environmental funds for the implementation of the concept in question.

The project was crucial in boosting the development of public policies for the implementation of the mitigation hierarchy in Mozambique, Madagascar, Uganda and Guinea. It has created a knowledge and learning platform on the theme based on local knowledge and capacity. implementing countries.

And it is in this context of collaboration with the COMBO Project that BIOFUND is seen as one of the environmental funds with a key role on biodiversity offsets implementation within the African Environmental Funds Network (CAFÉ) awakening the relevance of the concept to environmental funds as a financial mechanism to support biodiversity conservation, culminating with the establishment of a technical group for biodiversity offsets based in the CAFÉ network, currently involving about 17 African countries.

According to Denise Nicolau, coordinator of BIOFUND’s Biodiversity Offset program “the imminent continuity of COMBO is an important example of collaboration between WCS, Government and BIOFUND and is a great result to be capitalized”.

BIOFUND is committed to continuing to implement its Mozambique Balancing and Biodiversity Program by 2023 with financial support from the World Bank through the MOZBIO 2 Project, UNDP through the BIOSFAC Project and USAID / CPI and in partnership with national and international stakeholders, including the COMBO Project in case of continuity in Mozambique.

Mozambique Biodiversity Exhibition

“Visiting the exhibition was a unique opportunity to complement my knowledge about the biodiversity of Manica and Mozambique, with particular emphasis on the endemic species of flora,” said Chilasse Salvador Fernandes, a young graduate in Ecotourism and Wildlife Management by the Superior Institute of Manica, during the last edition of  BIOFUND’sbiodiversity exhibition.

Mozambique is home to a rich flora with 6500 plant species, of which over 300 plant species are on the IUCN red list and 22% are endemic, a terrestrial fauna with 726 bird species, 171 reptile species, 85 amphibians (of which 28 are endemic) and 3075 insect species.

It is in this scenario that in 2011 the creation of BIOFUND – Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity, a nonprofit mozambican privateorganization, gained momentum with the perspective of adding sustainability to the financial support of biodiversity conservation areas in Mozambique.

Since its public launch in 2015, one of BIOFUND’s decisions has been to address the so-called underlying causes of biodiversity loss. Among other things, the need to improve civil society awareness of the importance of biodiversity was identified among the priority aspects, especially on young people.

It was then in 2015, in Maputo, at the time of its official launch, that BIOFUND decided to embrace the dream and launched what is considered the largest itinerant biodiversity exhibition in the country.

Chilasse Salvador represents the voice of the 13,000 people who had already the opportunity to witness this great journey which in five years has reached half of the provincial capitals of the country and involved over 120 schools plus about 200 national and international partners, as well as a number of young college students and future teachers who participate as guides at every edition, with the potential to become future conservation leaders in Mozambique.

This long walk has illustrated, using different technologies and tools, Mozambique’s rich marine, aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Within the CAFÉ network this is the largest initiative of environmental awareness promoted by an environmental fund.

Surrounded by communities within and around 7 Conservation Areas, members representing the beneficiary communities were unanimous in stating with enthusiasm during the Vozes da Terra seminar on 25^th and 26^th of November that the project Mozbio has significantly improved its self-sustenance conditions.

The event was organized by the National Fund for Sustainable Development (FNDS) and the National Administration of Conservation Areas with the support of BIOFUND, aiming to provoke a discussion about community development in Conservation Areas in Mozambique, creating a knowledge and learning base for future interventions.

Edison Rwodzi, IUCN / Micaia Foundation / Eco Micaia consortium technician, one of the service providers of the Mozbio project in the Chimanimani National Reserve, mentioned some of the community projects developed in areas such as ecological agriculture, agroforestry, commercial agriculture and beekeeping focusing on improving production techniques, network expansion, value chain evolution and business plan development. He noted that the projects, in addition to benefiting thousands of members of the communities involved, trained a considerable number of community leaders and enabled women to improve their levels of empowerment. Another highlight was the range of environmental education activities, with emphasis on the involvement of environmental clubs inserted through schools and beyond. In the case of Chimanimani, the examples of benefited communities include: Tsetsera, Mussapa, Phedza, Nhahedzi, Mahate, Mpunga, Zomba, Gotogoto, Macoca and Maronga.

“I am a member of the Commercial Agriculture Association, my specialty is the production of reno potatoes, beans and garlic, thanks to the improvements I had with the support of the Mozbio project, today I was able to increase my income and buy 4 heads of cattle”, Rainha Sevene Macaute – member of Chimanimani Farmers Association. Rabeca Manuel, a member of the Chimanimani Beekeepers Association, said, “Thanks to the Mozbio project, my community already has a fixed buyer for all production and also knows what the best environment for honey production is,” and praised the project Mozbio.

It is recalled that the MozBio 1 project was implemented by the National Fund for Sustainable Development between 2015 and 2019, with funding from the World Bank, and one of its components supported the community development of 7 Conservation Areas, namely: Quirimbas National Park, National Reserve do Gilé, Chimanimani National Reserve, Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Limpopo National Park, Maputo Special Reserve and Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve. In these different areas, although with different approaches, it was noticeable that the project ended up generating considerable impacts and with a strong possibility that they would last beyond 2019, according to representatives of the various communities.

The seminar featured a Fair and Exhibition of beneficiary Conservation Areas and project implementation partners. Approximately 200 participants were present, including members of the beneficiary communities, Conservation Areas administration, District Governments, service providers, academics, conservationists, investors.

In this partnership scenario, BIOFUND’s participation in this event included an exhibition with about 18 panels illustrating some of the critical habitats and species of the country. The exhibition room was also the venue for demonstrations of the importance of BIOFUND’s virtual library as a repository of information of biodiversity in Mozambique. At the same time, the BIOFUND stand included a mini photographic exhibition that sought to create a reflection on the importance of fishing resources for communities and the dilemma of sustainable fishing and hunting. The opportunity also served to inform dozens of young people present about the Mozambique Conservation Leadership Program and the great interest in attracting them to the conservation sector.

Important to note that BIOFUND was also one of the beneficiary institutions that received institutional support from MozBio 1 project, which has additionally contributed to channel and disburse about US $ 3 million to support operational costs to 11 Conservation Areas, between 2017- 2019.

BIOFUND, in partnership with the Mozambican Association for Environmental Impact Assessment (AMAIA) and the Government of Mozambique, represented by the Provincial Directorate for Land, Environment and Rural Development of Nampula (DPTADER), held between 28 October and 1 November 2019 the Training in Ecological Impact Assessment, Environmental Management Plans and Monitoring, for around 32 technicians from various Government institutions at Nampula province level, civil society organizations and the private sector involved in the environmental impact assessment process.

The main objective of this training was to train the various technicians in key aspects of environmental impact assessment on ecology and biodiversity component level, management plans and environmental monitoring in development projects. The training will allow them to improve their ability to apply national legislation and international best practice of the mitigation hierarchy according to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation (54/2015).

This training program was composed by the Training Module 1. Ecological Impact Assessment and Mitigation Hierarchy developed by BIOFUND and partners in 2017 and provided by AMAIA environmental impact assessment specialists.

The trainers highlighted the key aspects of the legal framework for ecological impact assessment, the process of categorization of development projects, application of the mitigation hierarchy and guidelines for creation of standardized environmental permits following international best practices.

Using an interactive training model, during the training the various direct, indirect and cumulative impact assessment procedures and mitigation measures were discussed in working groups using as an example the various development projects underway in the country.

This capacity building activity was funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the BIOSFAC Project under the BIOFUND Biodiversity Offset Program and is part of the Foundation’s efforts to promote measures aimed at harmonizing economic development. and the conservation of biodiversity in Mozambique.

Challenges in the financing of Marine Protection Areas was the theme of the meeting between representatives of BIOFUND, WWF and Conservation Finance International, during the last week of 21-25 October 2019, in the United States of America.

Represented by Luis Honwana, Executive Director, Sean Nazerali, Director of Innovative Financing and Anabela Rodrigues, Member of the Board of Directors, BIOFUND shared its experiences and plans on combining the use of traditional financing tools and the application of innovative mechanisms such as the use of endowment revenues and an adequate implementation of the Mitigation Hierarchy and Biodiversity Offset, among others, which are expected to be useful for financing the Primeiras e Segundas Environmental Protection Area.

In addition to the meeting with WWF, the Mozambican delegation shared with the Global Environment Fund part of the progress achieved recently. This meeting was attended by representatives of the World Bank TNC and USAID. Highlights the presence of George Ledec, chief scientist of the World Bank, who in 2016 led the process of drafting the roadmap for the implementation of an Aggregate Biodiversity Offset System in the Country. Meanwhile the World Bank through representatives from their delegation in Mozambique to the conservation sector recognized the important role that BIOFUND has been playing in the implementation of its strategies.

The Mozambican delegation was quite happy with the results of the various meetings held in Washington. According to the Innovative Financing Director, the delegation had the opportunity to talk to the Conservation Finance team about the possibilities of trying to create a Partnership for Permanence program for Mozambique. The first experience of this type of initiative took place in Brazil, through the ARPA program, and essentially aims to create a fund lasting approximately 20 or 30 years to transform conservation areas. For Sean Nazerali, Mozambique has several advantages in building a fund with this approach, one of which is that it has already completed a financial needs assessment of requirements to change the level of consolidation of conservation areas.

BIOFUND has learned that the Conservation Finance Alliance as part of its 10-year review is preparing a series of case studies including one on Mozambique. It is expected that this activity can contribute to the international visibility of this Mozambican foundation which currently has 4 years of operational existence.

The process of establishing the management conditions of the Primeiras and Segundas Environmental Protection Area (APAIPS) has taken a significant step with the establishment of local housing for the Administrator Ricardina Matusse from October 2019.

These conditions will enable Ricardina Matusse, APAIPS’s first administrator, appointed by ANAC in December 2018, to be able to fully start her duties and to establish the remaining conditions for the operation of APAIPS’s administrative headquarters in the city of Angoche, Nampula province. This ANAC presence on the ground is important to reinforce and expand coordination and collaboration activities, with other actors already working in this Conservation Area.

This logistical support was made possible by BIOFUND’s financial resources resulting from the annual income from the endowment (long-term invested capital fund, where only its annual income is used) donated by Conservation International, specifically for the long-term support of this Conservation Area of great biodiversity and biological wealth.

APAIPS was made official by Decree No. 42/2012 issued on 12 December 2012.

One of the main reasons that motivated the creation of APAIPS is the fact that it is a large system of marine influence where a large “deep reef range” develops and in some places surface, with great richness in biological diversity being an integral part of the East African Marine Eco-Region from southern Somalia to the Kwazulu-Natal coast in the Republic of South Africa (RAS). This area of environmental protection ensures the integrity of the connection between coastal and marine habitats, physically and ecologically, with emphasis on:

• Mangrove forests along the various estuaries;
• Seagrass beds;
• Coral reefs;
• Large sand banks forming part of Sofala Bank;
• Water gradients from the coast to depths of over 1000 meters in less than 25 to 35 km from the coast harboring various plant and wildlife species

Due to its ecological importance, APAIPS is an area that can bring environmental social economic benefits to the communities within it, and their effective involvement and permanent supervision by the authorities is important.

The French Embassy in Mozambique and BIOFUND co-organized, at the Franco Mozambican Cultural Center, between 21st and 24th of September 2019, the first edition of the Terra Nossa event, around the motto “Crossed look between human beings and the ocean.”

How can we think together about the future of our planet Earth and how to reconcile human activities and nature to build a more sustainable world – were the questions that guided the activities and the search for answers in order to strengthen the debate and reflection on the climate change action and environmental issues in Mozambique.

The first edition began with a beach clean-up journey coordinated by AMOJOF on September 21st, followed by an exhibition of panels and photographs on Threatened Biodiversity in Mozambique, which lasted until the 30th, inaugurated by the Ambassador of France, David Izzo, and BIOFUND´s Executive Director Luis Bernardo Honwana.

One of the central points of the event was the broadcasting of the Mother Ocean documentary, produced by Bitonga Divers Asscociation, followed by a round table taking into account the dilemma on “How to reconcile economic and human activities and the preservation of marine biodiversity in Mozambique”, moderated by Sean Nazeralli, BIOFUND’s Director of Innovative Financing. The debate was attended by Anabela Rodrigues, WWF Director, Miguel Gonçalves, Maputo Special Reserve Administrator, Felisberto Manuel, Pescamar Director and António Sacramento, Bitonga Divers / Ocean Revolution member.

According to Anabela Rodrigues, there was a study conducted in 2010, indicating that over 4.8 to 12 million tons of plastic were found under the sea worldwide. The same study pointed out that over 35% of turtles, 90% of 186 species of seabirds, 17% of a specific shark species, 18% of tuna and swordfish ingest microplastics.

The roundtable was attended by almost one hundred people, including representatives of government institutions, non-governmental organizations, civil society, teachers and students from the Francisco Manyanga, French and Portuguese schools.

In general, as a mitigation measure, the present public pointed as a solution an intervention of schools in the mobilization and support in reducing the use of plastic and the creation of movements between schools in the struggle to reach some preservation goals from the creation a culture of conservation and education about the country’s resources;

Another problem raised was the issue of illegal fishing, Anabela Rodrigues defended that the communities in many cases value the zones of sealing even in extreme times, as is the case of cyclones, finding alternative forms of subsidence. However, according to her, significant cases of illegal fishing with significant impact persist. Miguel Goncalves, on this subject, drew attention to the fact that artisanal fishers are not the only actors and that the impact of industrial fishermen on resource dynamics must also be analyzed.

In its turn, some of the audience asked the representative of Pescamar, a company that is a member of one of the largest fishing groups in the world, present in Mozambique, about the reasons that limit the use of TED (turtle exclusion device) to minimize the capture of sea turtles and beyond.

Felisberto Manuel argued that the approval of the TED legislation in Mozambique was made without certain previous studies and that some data indicate that the responsibility for the capture of sea turtles is related to trawl fishing. He stated that the institution he represents has already tried the use of this technology and was unsuccessful. According to him, Pescamar operates essentially in Sofala Bank, an area that considers that there is no significant risk of affecting protected species, a position partially countered by the Ponto do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve Administrator and WWF Director. But it emphasizes that, in general, the country needs to do more for the protection of the environment and that at Pescamar there is a concern to invest in boats that have less impact on the ecosystem.

In addition to the debate session, the event included film sessions with environmental content, educational games and guided tours. The event was attended by more than 3 hundred people.

The Embassy of France has the ambition to continue to organize an annual environmental event aiming to keep raising awareness on the importance of environmental protection for the sustainable economic development of Mozambique.

BIOFUND has as its third strategic pillar the promotion and consolidation of a favorable environment for conservation in Mozambique. In this context, this Foundation has been seeking to raise awareness among civil society about the importance of biodiversity, as well as to promote and facilitate discussions and information sharing.

The Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development, through the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), in partnership with USAID’s SPEED + Project, is in the process of preparing the Proposed Professional Hunter Regulation.

This legal instrument will provide rules for the exercise of sport hunting activity in the country for  the Professional Hunters and beyond. It will also ensure a sustainable use of wildlife resources, always keeping the tourist hunter and other players safe, according to international sport hunting standards.

In view of the relevance of the legal instrument and in order to submit it to the public participation process, all interested parties are invited to attend a Public Consultation Meeting to present the content of the Proposed Regulation, and obtain the contributions to its finalization.

The Public Consultation Meeting will be held at 8:30 am on October 3, 2019, at an unannounced venue.

The Draft Rules are available on the following web pages:

• www.anac.gov.mz
• www.speed-program.com
• biofund.org.mz

Comments and observations may be sent by October 6, 2019 to the following email addresses:

• contacto@anac.gov.mz
• samiromagane@yahoo.com

For organizational reasons, participation in the event is by registration, during normal business hours, through the following contacts:

Av. 10 de Novembro, Praceta 1196, no. 40, Bairro Central, Maputo- Mozambique

• Tel: +258 21 302 362
• Fax: +258 21 302 373
• E-mail: contacto@anac.gov.mz

231 bird and 42 mammal species, including a bat new to Mozambique, were among the species found over a two-week period

More than 1,000 animal and plant species have been discovered by researchers in a section of the Chimanimani Conservation Area, including a number of species new to Mozambique and several species potentially new to science.

The findings followed a two week biodiversity survey in late 2018 in the understudied Chimanimani Conservation Area in Manica Province and underscore the importance of protecting this rich, biodiverse landscape from threats including mining and logging.

As well as the birds and mammals, the team (which consisted of visiting specialists and students of the Gorongosa BioEd MSc programme) found 42 species of mammal, 231 species of bird, 22 species of amphibian, 45 species of reptile, over 450 insect and 176 plant species. One bat species is believed to be new to Mozambique and one frog, one lizard, and a bush-cricket are believed to be new to science. Several species of animals were recorded for the first time in Mozambique.

Within Chimanimani the unique combination of different altitudes, soils, rain and fire has resulted in a high level of endemism, especially in flora. This Conservation Area as a whole has a critical role to play in the functioning of ecosystems over a wide area but faces land use conversion pressures in its buffer zone. As a result, stewardship efforts are focused on preventing encroachment and safeguarding the integrity of the site.

“The findings demonstrate how important Chimanimani is to biodiversity in Mozambique and to global conservation science. It is critical that threats to the landscape, including illegal mining, as well as poaching, logging and damaging agricultural practices are tackled so we can protect this unique landscape for generations to come”, said Lionel Massicane, Warden of the Chimanimani National Reserve.

An area within the Moribane Forest Reserve in the buffer zone of the Chimanimani National Reserve was found to be home to a number of unique species, a finding which further reinforces the importance of protecting the remaining lowland evergreen forest in the country.

The Reserve plays a vital role in the culture of local communities, its mountains having been inhabited for centuries and containing important historical sites including Stone Age rock paintings and ruins dating back to the Great Zimbabwe era of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Together with the Chimanimani National Park in Zimbabwe the Reserve constitutes a transboundary protected area covering around 1,000 km².

The biodiversity research was carried out under the auspices of the Chimanimani Biodiversity Census Project supported by Administração Nacional das Áreas de Conservação (ANAC), Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel (FNDS), Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Gorongosa Restoration Project and MICAIA Foundation, with funding from the World Bank’s MozBio1 programme through The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND).

Notes to editors:

Established in 2011, the National Administration for the Conservation Areas (ANAC) is a state institution responsible for the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable development of the country’s ecotourism. Its main activities are the planning, coordination and execution of activities in the conservation areas, in partnership with local organisations and communities. The conservation areas, administered by ANAC, represent around 25% of the national territory, including 7 National Parks and 7 National Reserves, and 70 game hunting areas divided in 20 official game reserves, 9 hunting blocks, 13 community projects and 31 game farms.

For press enquiries contact: Elias Matsinhe (elias.matsinhe@anac.gov.mz)

The Reserve, managed under ANAC, was created in light of Decree 34/2003 (19 August), with the main objective of safeguarding the protection of the biodiversity-rich ecosystem, floral endemism and conservation importance of the Chimanimani massif. Chimanimani, including the headwaters of various rivers, Mount Binga (the highest point in the country) and the historical-cultural heritage of the region, has a total area of 2368 km². This comprises of a core protection area of 683 km² and a buffer zone of 1,685 km². This is a transboundary conservation area (Mozambique – Zimbabwe), located in central Mozambique, Manica Province, Sussundenga District, covering the Rotanda, Mouha and Dombe Administrative Posts.

FNDS is a public legal entity with legal personality and capacity, with administrative, financial and patrimonial autonomy, under the supervision of the Minister responsible for Land, Environment and Rural Development. FNDS arises from the global need for the adoption of sustainable development models that provide for the emergence of multilateral financing funds in compliance with the new UN-approved Sustainable Development (SDG) targets, with emphasis on climate change. The objective of FNDS is to promote and finance programmes and projects that guarantee sustainable, harmonious and inclusive development, with particular emphasis on rural areas.

For press enquiries contact: Leonardo Chauque (leonardo.chauque@fnds.gov.mz)

BIOFUND is a private financial institution with the aim of financing the conservation of biodiversity in Mozambique. With a public utility status its mission is to support the conservation of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources, including the consolidation of the national system of Conservation Areas.

For press enquiries contact: Joaquim Adriano Govene (jgovene@biofund.org.mz)

Gorongosa National Park is a successful wildlife restoration story; a long-term public-private partnership between the Government of Mozambique and the US non-profit organisation the Carr Foundation. The conservation model balances the needs of wildlife and people by working in four core areas: wildlife and landscape protection, community support, scientific research and sustainable tourism.

For press enquiries contact: Vasco Galante (vasco@gorongosa.net)

MICAIA Foundation is a Mozambican NGO founded in 2009 and working primarily in Manica Province. MICAIA follows a long-term approach to community development and livelihoods resilience, recognising that the pathway away from poverty and vulnerability is a long and difficult journey. The Foundation’s work centres on two main themes: sustainable management of natural resources, and diversification of the local economy. Two further themes, food security and active citizenship, are increasingly integrated and cross-cutting in all work.

For press enquiries contact: Milagre Nuvunga (milagre@micaia.org)

Established in 1903, FFI was the world’s first international wildlife conservation organisation. FFI’s mission is to conserve threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, based on sound science, and which take into account human needs. FFI’s focus is on protecting biodiversity, which underpins healthy ecosystems and is critical for the life support systems that humans and all other species rely on. FFI is active in more than 40 countries across Africa, the Americas, Eurasia and Asia-Pacific and supports over 140 conservation projects and 320 partners around the world.

For press enquiries contact: Nathan Williams (nathan.williams@fauna-flora.org

September 16th has been celebrated since 1987 as the World Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, in the context of the Protocol signed in Montreal, which promotes the reduction of ozone-depleting gases and in order to raise awareness of the need for planet protection. In allusion, the UN declared the date as World Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

The ozone layer is a gas layer  around the planet that is located at about 20 to 35 km altitude. It is this layer that is responsible for ensuring that all living things on Earth are protected against the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. Without it, there would probably be no life.

In 1985 a hole in the ozone layer was discovered over Antarctica. CFC synthetic chemicals, used in aerosols, refrigerants, solvents or in the production of rigid packaging foam, were mainly to blame for the destruction of stratospheric ozone. This layer is fundamental for living beings because it absorbs over 95% of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The answer to this problem was the Montreal Protocol.

Nevertheless , the exponential increase in the use of fossil fuels (eg oil and oil products), associated with deforestation, namely by forest fires (with natural trees consuming carbon dioxide) are also among the causes that increase the greenhouse effect.

Several studies indicate among the measures that can corroborate for the conservation of the ozone layer: recycling , preference for environmentally friendly products, reduced consumption of plastics and packaging. It is also referred to as preventive actions, planting trees, reducing car trips, reducing the use of sprays, switching from conventional bulbs to fluorescent ones, and turning off electronic devices when not used.

The network of African Environmental Funds (CAFE) met from September 2 to 6, 2019 in Ouidah city, Benin for its Annual Assembly on the theme of Financial Markets and Portfolio Management for Environmental Funds.

This event is held on a rotating basis among CAFE member countries and in this year, it was held in Ouidah city in Benin, with support and coordination from the West African Environmental Fund (FSOA).

The event was attended by 40 participants including members of CAFÉ, RedLAC – Network of Caribbean and Latin American Environmental Funds, members of the government, bilateral agencies, civil society, media and special speakers to exhibit and discuss markets and financial management of environmental funds, particularly for African funds.

The CAFÉ Assembly them was dedicated to financial market analysis and asset management, environmental fund investment policies, types of funds and their application in the market, investment return, risk management, technical assistance and knowledge regarding the subject.

Also, at this event, a team from the Conservation Financial Alliance presented the 10-year review of implementation of standards and practices of Environmental Funds (CTFs) a process that includes an overview of the implementation progress throughout the years, the future challenges considering the variety of emerging thematic areas.

A field trip complemented the Assembly event through the tourism experience on Lake Ganvié, the most visited touristic site in West Africa, proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. This lake is composed of an extensive set of word houses, able to resist to water and climate hazards for several decades, an area of high historical value and with a growing and isolated population predominantly engaged in fishing activity, as artisanal fishing concessions.

The participation of BIOFUND in this event represented an opportunity to learn and exchange experiences on the various areas of intervention of environmental funds. BIOFUND took this opportunity to present its progress in the Biodiversity Offsets Program, particularly on the experience exchange practices that have been taking place under the network as well as the recently propose for the creation of a Biodiversity Offsets Working Group under the CAFÉ Network.

In this event, BIOFUND formally announced the hosting of the 10^th General Assembly of CAFÉ, in September 2020 in Mozambique.

For more information visit the page: https://www.cafeconsortium.org/