After Maputo (in 2015), Gaza (2016), Zambézia (2017) and Inhambane (2018), BIOFUND brings to Manica, in August 2019, the Annual Biodiversity Exhibition: “A Cultura da Conservação e o Desenvolvimento Sustentável”!

The province of Manica presents a great biodiversity and at the same time faces many challenges for its conservation. The biodiversity of Manica ranges from beautiful mountainous landscapes – including Monte Binga, the highest point in the country and the emblematic Cabeça do Velho – to marvelous waterfalls and creeks, set in the landscape of a conservation area: the Chimanimani National Reserve, which is since 2017 one of the beneficiaries of BIOFUND funding.

In coordination with the 14^th edition of the National Festival of School Games – which this year will have a motto related to conservation and bring together about 2000 young participants representing all the provinces of the country – it is intended to strengthen the importance of biodiversity conservation amongst the youth.

Manica will also be the stage for the launch of the new project “Leadership for Conservation”, under the MozBio program, which will start with training activities in conservation and dissemination of information on internships and scholarship opportunities for young people!

The 5th edition of BIOFUND’s Annual Biodiversity Exhibition in Manica will surely be an event not to be missed!

The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC) met from 27 October to 1 November 2018 in Santa Cruz de La Sierra city in Bolivia, at its 20th Annual Assembly with the theme of Creativity and Innovation for Sustainable Development.

This is event is held annually rotated among country members and for current year it was held in Bolivia with the support of FUNDESNAP, FCBC and Fundación Natura.

More than 130 members were present among members of RedLAC, CAFÉ – African Consortium of Environmental Funds, members of the government, multilateral agencies, civil society, private sector, representatives of protected areas, academia, media and keynote speakers to present and discuss about innovation for financing biodiversity conservation.

RedLAC considers continuous learning and innovation as a value of the network, which over these years has not only been limited to its financial profile, but also went beyond the environmental, social and economic dimensions, aiming to contribute to local, national sustainable development, regional and global, integrating all relevant sectors of society.

Hereupon, RedLAC highlighted the main contributions and innovations of a joint work of over 20 years of its existence, picking the lessons learned as a basis to face the challenges to reach Agenda 2030.

During the event, several parallel sessions were held, including the session on innovative sustainable financing mechanisms facilitated by the Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA), monitoring and evaluation sessions, biodiversity offsets, K project results, donor round table discussions, success stories in the region and the General Assembly.

A field trip complemented the concept of Innovation in conjunction with the tourism experience in a regional protection area and natural heritage of Bolivia – the Lomas de Arena Regional Park and the Simon Applied Ecology Center Simón I. Patiño that seeks to validate and transfer methodologies to implement sustainable agriculture in fragile tropical soils, seeking to reduce environmental pollution caused by intensive agriculture.

The participation of BIOFUND in this event represented an opportunity for learning and exchange of experience on the most varied areas of intervention of environmental funds. BIOFUND’s biodiversity offsets program was highlighted and presented in two technical sessions, namely the Conservation Finance Alliance Workshop and Project K – Knowledge for Action from RedLAC and CAFÉ Network collaboration.

For more information, visit www.redlac.org

BIOFUND in partnership with Wildlife Conservation Society/ COMBO Project, Biotope and the Government of Mozambique represented by the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development (MITADER) – National Environment Directorate, held between October and November 2018, the Training Program on Ecological Impact Assessment, Mitigation Hierarchy, Environmental Management Plans and Monitoring, aimed to build capacity of around 40 technicians from various government institutions involved in the Environmental Licensing process as well as members from Mozambican Environmental Impact Assessment Association – AMAIA.

The training was funded by USAID/Counterpart International under the BIOFUND Biodiversity Offsets Program with the main objective of training technicians on key aspects of environmental impact assessment at ecology and biodiversity levels, in order to improve capacity to implement national legislation and international best practices regarding the implementation of the mitigation hierarchy.

This training program was constituted by two Training Modules, namely Module I. Ecological Impact Assessment, Module II. Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans, and additionally Training of Trainers Session highlighting the main aspects of the legal framework of ecological impact assessment, categorization process of development projects, introduction to the mitigation hierarchy and guidelines for the creation of standardized environmental licenses following the international best practices.

Using an interactive training model, during the training the various procedures for assessing direct, indirect and cumulative impacts as well as measures for their mitigation were discussed in working groups using as an example the various development projects under way in the country.

In the scope of the Training Program, in partnership with DINAB and AMAIA, six trainers were trained in Ecological Impact Assessment, Environmental Management Plans and Monitoring. The technicians were trained and tools were provided to become the future national trainers regarding this subject.

This initiative is part of the BIOFUND effort in partnership with the COMBO project, an initiative implemented by WCS, Forest Trends and Biotope with financial support from AFD, FFEM and Mava Foundation and MITADER in developing national capacity on Ecological Impact Assessment, application of Mitigation Hierarchy and Biodiversity Offsets through training and sharing lessons learned in Africa and worldwide on best practices in Environmental Impact Assessment, No Net Loss, Mitigation Hierarchy and Biodiversity Offsets.

This training program has started in 2016 and over 200 technicians from government, civil society, private sector and academia were trained in this thematic area at national level.

Bio Card is the first biodegradable debit card in Mozambique, the product of a partnership between Banco Comercial de Investimentos (BCI) and the Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation (BIOFUND), launched on December 08, 2017.

This innovative product of biological origin is developed with PLA (polylactic acid) material, a substitute for petroleum-based plastic obtained from renewable sources (maize), which can be recycled and incinerated or landfilled because it is non-toxic.

In the use of the Bio Card in POS, BCI channels a percentage (0.04%) of the amount transacted, to BIOFUND, at no cost to the client, allowing all Mozambicans to contribute actively to the conservation of the rich biodiversity of our country. See the Bio Card brochure here.

The card launching ceremony took place at the Auditorium of the BCI Headquarters Building, with the key moments being the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between BCI and BIOFUND, by His Excellency BCI Executive Committee Chairman, Dr. Paulo Sousa, and His Excellency Chairman of the Board of Directors of BIOFUND, Dr. Abdul Magid Osman, and the symbolic delivery of Bio Card.

This is BIOFUND’s first partnership with a private Mozambican institution, an important milestone in involving local partners in the country’s conservation.

The adherence to this card has been very good, and there have been regular initiatives to disseminate the card to the level of the provinces, the most recent being in Inhambane, on the BIOFUND Exhibition / Biodiversity Fair under the theme “A Culture of Conservation and Sustainable Development. ” The BCI and the bio card were present at the solemn session of the BIOFUND event and also during the 3 days of the Biodiversity Fair at the ESHTI.

Contact your BCI account manager or branch to learn how to apply for a bio card!

Get more information on launching the Bio Card in the following links:

Jornal Esquento- Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf
Jornal Horizonte- Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf
Jornal Vertical- Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf

Consortium of African Funds for Environment (CAFE) met from September 3 – 7, 2018 in Kasane, Botswana, at its 8^th session on climate change and finance. This is an annual rotative event amongst country members. This event was organized by the “Botswana Forest Conservancy” (FCB) and was funded by CAFE and RedLAC (Network of Environmental Funds of Latin America and Caribbean).

Around 50 participants have attended the meeting, including representatives of 21 funds, of which 17 are African and 4 representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean – RedLAC, representatives of government, civil society and international organizations invited to present, discuss and deliberate on financing mechanisms for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

Considering the various challenges and opportunities in this sector during this week were presented and discussed a variety of modules for biodiversity finance in Africa. International experiences were presented by international experts, to promote discussions on resource mobilization, knowledge sharing and engagement of other sectors to contribute for biodiversity conservation.

BIOFUND used this opportunity to share results from Inhambane Biodiversity Exhibition and Fair and the Biodiversity Offsets Program.

CAFE was established in 2011 to build a learning community that shares best practices and seeks innovative financing mechanisms to promote conservation, environmental management and sustainable development in Africa.

For more information visit: consortiumcafe.org and www.redlac.org

During the 4th Biodiversity Exhibition held in Inhambane from 3 – 12 August 2018, entitled “A Culture of Conservation and Sustainable Development”, BIOFUND organized three days of environmental education for students from schools around the Conservation Areas of Inhambane.

Twenty-six students participated in the event, 10 from 1st and 2nd grade Covane (within the Zinave National Park), 6 from the 1st and 2nd Bazaruto EP (within the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park) and 10 from the 1st and 2nd grade of Conguiana (Praia da Barra).

The objective of the environmental education program was to develop educational activities aimed at enabling / qualifying students (from 9 to 14 years old) on techniques and tools to minimize the impact of garbage on the environment; Provide conditions for acquiring knowledge, skills among students, as well as for developing attitudes towards individual and collective participation in solid waste management and Sharing knowledge and management practices of coastal and marine resources through participation in guided tours to the mangrove and marine sanctuaries.

These activities were carried out with the support of a facilitator of environmental education and the following:

Whale watching was an important time for students to have visual contact with one of the largest marine mammal species. Once this was the period of occurrence of Whales on the Mozambican coast was a unique opportunity for students.

The observation of the plankton (main food of the shark) with the aid of microscopes. Prior to this observation of the plankton, an introduction was made on the Whale Shark and its way of life, to facilitate the understanding of the subject.

Guided tour of the greenhouse mangrove seedlings in the city of Inhambane, in partnership with the Fisheries Research Institute of the of the Provincial Directorate of the Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries of Inhambane, where they learned about what are mangroves, distribution of species of mangrove (red mangrove and white mangrove), the importance of mangroves for coastal protection, erosion control, the use of wood cuttings, among other services provided by mangrove and the role of institutions and people in their protection.

Guided tour of a community conservation marine area, in partnership with Ocean Revolution, to learn how communities have managed it. It is a natural area that is managed in a way to guarantee the livelihood of the communities, without jeopardizing the conservation of the area.

Tofo beach cleaning preceded by a lecture held at the All Out Africa, where the types of garbage that came to shore were explained in various ways.

Basic demonstrations on waste, with the support of environmental activist Carlos Serra, students had an opportunity to be sensitized about the importance of removing plastic waste from the environment.

Artistic activities, where students learned to take advantage of cultural manifestations of the community to develop educational activities, designed the most common animals that they find in their zones of origin and emblematic.

Introspection games, in partnership with MMF, fun on the environment, especially self-discovery of elements that can find in the environment, marine animals such as turtle, marine pollution.

In addition to these activities, students had the opportunity to participate in the Biodiversity Exhibition, Fair, film projection, didactic games (Sack Race, Rope Pull, Spider Web, Cards).

During the 3 days of activities students were evaluated for their attitudes, engagement and quality of responses after the activities they participated in. The award of the five best students was attended by Professor Almeida Guissamulo.

These activities were carried out with the support of several partners, with special emphasis on: Marine Megafauna Foundation, All Out Africa, Ocean Revoluction, IIP, CCS Italy, PN Zinave, Peace Park Foundation (PPF), PNA Bazaruto, African Parks ), Let’s do it, among others.

The exhibition and multimedia fair is an activity included in the 3rd strategic pillar of BIOFUND “raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation”, developed with the aim of promoting environmental sensitivity and the importance of biodiversity conservation in all layers of the population.

The exhibition took place in Inhambane province, specifically in the city of Inhambane and lasted 10 days, from 3 to 12 August, at the Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo de Inhambane (ESHTI).

Throughout these 10 days, we have received more than 5000 visitors, mostly primary and secondary School students, university students and graduates of the IFPs (Teacher colleges). In total, 24 schools in Inhambane and 9 schools of Maxixe have had the opportunity to participate in the activities of the 4th edition of the Biodiversity Exhibition and thus to have contact and develop sensitivity for the theme of biodiversity conservation.

As a complement to the exhibition, the program was enriched with other activities:

• Solemn Session of Inauguration of the Biodiversity Exhibition, chaired by His Excellency the Governor of Inhambane Province, Daniel Chapo.
• Forum on “Harmonizing Economic Development and Conservation of Biodiversity”, held on the first day of the event and attended by national and international experts, having about 200 participants.
• Lecture and bird watching session of Inhambane Bay with an international expert, Gary Allport
• Launching of the Map of the Arts for the city of Inhambane, presided by His Excellency the Governor of Inhambane Province.
• Photographic exhibition on the biodiversity of Mozambique, at the Casa do Capitão Hotel in Inhambane, during the whole event.
• Environmental education sessions that reached all the schools participating in the event.
• More than 25 lectures, debates and mini-courses, inserted in topics of relevance for the province, which had the audience of more than 1,400 participants.
• 10 days of continuous exhibition of films, attended by more than 2 200 participants.
• 5 days with specific activities for children, including didactic games and drawing contests, organized by FUP and CCS Italia.
• Biodiversity fair, held during 3 days and attended by about 30 exhibitors from the Government, Academia, NGOs and conservation and sustainable development projects. In the days of the fair were present more than 1300 visitors.
• Field visits, including beach cleaning, whale watching, visits to mangrove areas and marine conservation areas, were attended by children from Zinave (10 children), Bazaruto (6 children) and Barra (10 children).
• Film screening and networking at key sites in the city of Inhambane that involved partners from various national and international organizations.

Seeking to awaken in the generation of tomorrow the care for biodiversity, the event was  directed to children and adolescents, educational and recreational activities that stimulate the taste for art and imagination around biodiversity, viewing educational films on conservation of natural resources, as well as contests where the winners were symbolically awarded. Distributed prizes included school supplies (backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, etc.), musical instruments connected to the province, material for field activities (lanterns, water bottles, tents, radios, etc.).

This 4th edition of the BIOFUND itinerant exhibition was held in partnership with the Pedagogical University (UP) and the Provincial Government of Inhambane, with the support of several national and international partners.

It was remarkable and very positive a variety of synergies and working capacity of all those who in one way or another, were involved in the preparation and holding of the event. To everyone, thank you very much for the support! Khanimambo!

Miguel Gonçalves, Park Warden of the Special Reserve of Maputo (SRM) and Partial Marine Reserve of Ponta do Ouro (PMRPO) – the Mozambique components of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area, received this month the African Ranger Award of 2018 a prestigious accolade presented by Paradise Foundation International and Alibaba Foundation.

The award honors 50 rangers in Africa who go beyond the call of duty in the battle against wildlife crime and play a pivotal role in protecting and conserving natural heritage and biodiversity.

For more information see here.

SAVE THE DATE 3-12 AUGUST 2018

Inhambane City

BIOFUND will hold the fourth Multimedia Exhibition on Conservation, as part of its strategy to promote the consolidation of a favorable environment for conservation in Mozambique.

This event aims to share information and knowledge about the importance and need to conserve biodiversity in our country, with emphasis on the wealth, risks and challenges in the province of Inhambane, identifying and involving partners and beneficiaries from different areas of action.

This initiative has the support of the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), the Government of the Province of Inhambane, the Pedagogical University (UP), the University Foundation for the Development of Education (FUNDE / A Politécnica), the Pedagogical University Foundation (FUP) and the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), among others.

The choice of Inhambane province for this year was because it presents a great biodiversity and, at the same time, great challenges to guarantee a sustainable development in the South of the Country. Inhambane is also the province with the largest number of the country’s conservation areas, including the National Pomene Reserve, the National Park of Bazaruto Archipelago, the Total Protection Zone of Cabo São Sebastião and Zinave National Park, from which the last three are beneficiaries of BIOFUND support.

This year, in addition to the general themes, we added a special theme, “Harmonizing economic development and biodiversity conservation in Mozambique” – Biodiversity Offsets: taking advantage of innovative financing solutions for biodiversity conservation in Mozambique, for which we are seeking partners who want to share experiences, presentations or materials for display. This theme, supported by Counterpart International / USAID, COMBO Project (a WCS, Biotope and Forest Trends initiative supported by the FFEM) and project K (supported by Funbio, CAFÉ and RedLac), is of great preponderance as a way of reconciling economic development with the necessary protection of the renewable resource base for future generations.

The main activity of the event is an interactive exhibition of biodiversity that includes more than 80 panels illustrating habitats and species from the north to the south of the country, as well as specific topics of Inhambane, in an explanatory course conducted by guides specially trained for this purpose. There will also be a fair with stands of projects in Inhambane, lectures, seminars, mini-courses, film shows and educational games with the aim of sensitizing the new generations to environmental issues and arousing their interest in nature. This year there will also be a route by the city of Inhambane with complementary activities such as bird watching, photography exhibitions, movie screenings, among others, happening a bit throughout the city.

The event is open to the public and the detailed program will be available shortly.

The World Turtle Day is celebrated on June 23rd. The date was established in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), with the aim of raising awareness about the need for rehabilitation, adoption and protection of turtles.

The non-profit organization was created to help protect all types of turtles, and this day was created to help people learn more about animals and how to preserve them. The ATR has guidelines available online for your treatment, which include instructions on what to do if a person encounters a turtle on a road, how to ensure fair treatment of animals and more.

The purpose of World Turtle Day is to educate people about the things they can do to protect turtle habitats. It is also a celebration of the joy that these reptiles bring daily to so many people.

There are also several resources available that teachers can use to develop World Turtle Day classes in schools. This is an important step in raising the future generation’s awareness of the threats that turtles face, which is also something that children like to get involved with.

World Environment Day is celebrated on 5 June. The date was established by the United Nations in 1972 with the main objective of making civil society aware of the importance of preserving natural resources in order to create a critical and active attitude towards the environmental problems that exist on the planet.

Each year, the United Nations presents a theme that serves as a starting point for the development of actions to celebrate World Environment Day in more than 100 countries, with a variety of activities planned for this theme. For 2018, the theme “End Plastic Pollution” was chosen, with the aim of inviting governments, the private sector, communities and individuals to reduce the production and excessive consumption of disposable plastic products, which are difficult and long to decompose, polluting the oceans, damaging marine life and affecting human health.

Over the last decade, humanity has produced more plastic than in the past century. Every year, between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed around the globe, and every minute 1 million plastic bottles are bought. Half of the plastic used by humans is for one-time use, and at least 8 million tons of plastic a year goes to the oceans – it’s as if the entire cargo of a plastic garbage truck is dumped every few minutes into the seas. This material currently accounts for 10% of all man-made waste.

Since it was established in 1972, World Environment Day has become a global platform for public awareness of environmental issues. In the United Nations assessment, the date is an opportunity for all to actively engage in the protection of nature.

In Maputo, the celebrations will take place in the Municipal Field of Zimpeto, with the presence of hundreds of children and some public figures. The aim is to make young people aware of the dangers of waste, especially plastic.

The broader scope of action is the responsibility of the National Environment Directorate / MITADER, the Municipal Council of Maputo and New Sigma Holding, Lda..

From May 28^th to June 1^st, a training course in planning and finances for all Conservation Areas in the Country was organized by BIOFUND in partnership with the National Administration of Conservation Areas.

This training builds on BIOFUND’s administrative and financial procedures manual as a way of equipping the Areas with technical capacity to implement projects funded by the Foundation.

The training took place in Maputo City and was attended by 25 participants from all the different Conservation Areas of Mozambique, represented by finance, planning and procurement technicians.

This was the second training session conducted by BIOFUND with a focus on administrative and financial procedures. It was the first in 2016, followed by training in project preparation conducted in 2017 with the managers of the Conservation Areas.

The training was designed to include the different aspects of results-oriented planning, procurement and budget management, from practical exercises and adapted to the reality of the Areas, taught by the Academy of Management and Public Finance.

Fenias Nhari, accountant at Vilankulos Bravio Sanctuary in the Total Protection Zone of Cabo de São Sebastião, participant of this training for the second time, said that it was a very useful recycling and a great opportunity to remedy the difficulties that he has faced during the financial execution, and leaves the training with a new vision and equipped with tools to improve their daily work.

Armindo Matavel, of Limpopo National Park, who attended the training for the first time, believes that the training served to iron out the doubts of day-to-day planning issues, organization and also the monthly accountability report that has been submitted to BIOFUND.

These training and capacity building for the Conservation Areas are part of the second objective of the BIOFUND Strategic Plan and are intended to be an annual activity, in order to allow the recycling of technicians.

BIOFUND will organize on the 24th of May from 17.00 to 19.30, the Forum on the need for harmonization of economic development and biodiversity conservation in Mozambique and draws attention to the possible consequences of non-observance of international best practices in the economic development of the country.

This theme will be addressed in the forum specially convened for this purpose, in parallel with the holding of the Sixth General Assembly of this Foundation, in the Montebelo Indy Maputo Congress Hotel (Indy Village), on 24 May. The event will be attended by government officials, bilateral agencies, private sector, academy and civil society.

This initiative, which has partners such as Counterpart International / USAID and RedLAC / CAFÉ, COMBO / WCS Project and the BIOFIN / UNDP Project, is part of a BIOFUND campaign, under its Biodiversity Offset program to disseminate concepts such as Mitigation Hierarchy, No Net Loss and Biodiversity Offset exploring opportunities for its dissemination and regulation.

At a time that several media are often reporting the damage caused to the environment and biodiversity by some development projects incorrectly conducted by its promoters, the subject is extreme relevant.

For more details about the event click here.

(Unifying our voices for bird conservation)

May 11^th, 2018 is the International Day of Migratory Birds. The date was established by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), along with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), with the purpose of celebrating and also initiating educational programs and events for the awareness and preservation of species.

This is a celebration that starts on the second weekend of May each year. The day is an opportunity to summon governments, organizations and individuals to save and conserve endangered species such as some migratory bird species.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) reported that more than 40 countries will participate in the day’s activities, which seek to increase international cooperation for the conservation of migratory birds. As part of the celebrations, there will be festivals, educational programs, birdwatching tours and photo contests.

About 19% of birds on the planet are travelers. They face a large number of threats caused by human activities, such as habitat degradation, hunting and logging, among others. UNEP recalled that more than 1,200 birds are currently in danger of extinction.

Although the reasons for the decline in the number of migratory birds are complex and relate specifically to particular species, the overall decline is a reflection of the general environmental problem associated with the worldwide loss of habitats and biodiversity.

Being vulnerable to environmental changes, migratory birds depend on where they stop to rest and to feed during their long trips, but these sites are threatened or disappear as a result of agricultural development, urban, industrial and infrastructure.

Mozambique has wetlands along the coast frequented by migratory birds. Marromeu wetlands are the most notorious and global ecological value, so it was declared as a Reserve within the RAMSAR Convention. Other wetland areas of high ecological value are located in the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park and the Maputaland biodiversity hotspot region. The main migratory birds observed in Mozambique include: Pelecanus onocrotalus, P. ruescens, Ciconia episcopus, Anastomus lamelligerus, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, Mycteria ibis and Sterna caspia.

In addition to these places, the variety of birds you can see in Gorongosa National Park is simply breathtaking. The best time of year to see birds is November, when migratory birds arrive in Mozambique and the resident birds have bright plumage for the breeding season. Over 150 different species can be registered on a single day at this time of year.

Consult here the brochure with tourist information about the Maputo Special Reserve and the Partial Marine Reserve of Ponta do Ouro.

BIOFUND will hold its 6^th General Assembly, as well as a discussion forum on Harmonizing Biodiversity Development and Conservation in Mozambique, and will focus on the analysis of the economic growth associated with the extractive industry in Mozambique in the last decade versus impacts on the conservation of biodiversity.

The event will take place on May 24^th at 5:00 pm, at Montebelo Indy Maputo Congress Hotel in Maputo, and will consist of presentations and debates by national and international experts as well as a photographic exhibition and film.

For more details click here.

National air census reveals more than seven thousand animals

Mozambique currently has a population of hippos estimated at just over 7,000 animals, according to a recent aerial census commissioned by the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), funded by the World Bank through the MozBio project.

According to the study, more than 80 percent of the pachyderms are located in the watersheds of Cahora Bassa, with 4,420, Lugenda (802), Save (179) and Zambezi (122), it is imperative that these populations are managed to ensure their existence and long-term sustainability with a comprehensive management strategy involving all actors committed to conservation, including local communities.

The count was in response to a request by CITES-the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora for Mozambique to show that the population of hippos was viable and their extraction through sport hunting was sustainable.

The results achieved are considered positive and surprising given that the count made in 2010 showed a decline in the order of just over 80 percent of the population of hippos, with an estimate of only 3,000 animals across the country.

This conclusion, exacerbated by the failure of the Mozambican authorities to provide updated data, led in September 2012 to CITES banning trade in hippopotamus trophies from the country, and it was necessary to reverse the situation and prove that the country has a viable population.

In April last year, data from this last count led to a sustainable management plan for the hippopotamus called “NDF-Non-Detriment Finding”, which made it possible to argue during the 69th CITES meeting recently held in Geneva-Switzerland for a lifting of the suspension imposed on the hunting of the hippopotamus in Mozambique and the export of the respective trophies.

At that meeting, the country emerged from the blacklist in this matter and managed to get an annual quota of operation corresponding to 1% of the total population estimated at 7,300 animals, meaning in practice that the country can extract about 70 animals per year.

The lifting of the interdiction has vital importance to the country, fundamentally at this time when several other species of wild animals are threatened with extinction due to poaching, and their exploration for trophies is increasingly problematic.

Get to know a little more of some of the most beautiful landscapes of Mozambique from the videos available on the website of the National Administration of Conservation Areas:

• Ponta do Ouro Marine Partial Reserve
• Chimanimani National Reserve
• Maputo Special Reserve
• Quirimbas National Park
• Bazaruto Archipelago National Park

Visit: http://www.anac.gov.mz/bio-arquivo/#video_gallery

Earth Hour is a WWF initiative that began in 2007 in the city of Sydney, Australia, when about 2 million people and more than 2,000 companies turned off the lights for an hour as a form of positioning against the global warming and climate change!

This global sustainability movement has grown to include 7,000 cities in 172 countries of which Mozambique is a part – showing support for this cause by symbolically switching off their lights for an hour.

Earth Hour 2018 will take place on March 24, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.

Prepare your solar flashlight and come join!

#EarthHour #HoradoPlaneta

Events from previous years: https://www.wwf.org.mz/hora_do_planeta/eventos/

The 3rd National Meeting about the study on Co-management Models in the Conservation Areas of Mozambique took place in Maputo on February 2018 and the final products of the consultancy were presented:

• Analysis of Co-management Partnerships in Mozambique;
• Presentation of the Road Map and Legal Framework for Co-management Partnerships in Mozambique Conservation Areas (Roadmap for Collaborative Management of Conservation Areas in Mozambique).

The results of the study help to define good practices for collaborative management in Mozambique conservation areas, between communities, Government and investors.

A co-gestão das áreas de conservação constitui uma ferramenta essencial porque representa:

• O início de uma nova era formal de governação das áreas de conservação permitindo a partilha de responsabilidades entre os principais actores nomeadamente: o sector público, sector privado, sociedade civil e comunidades locais;
• A facilitação na mobilização do capital financeiro para a gestão assim como o capital humano globalmente disponível;
• Uma plataforma que permite a Moçambique, o acesso a uma larga lista de potenciais doadores e investidores, e reter a vontade internacional de apoiar a conservação em África;
• Oportunidade de desenvolvimento do turismo como força motor para a geração de receitas com vista ao alcance da sustentabilidade ecológica e económica das áreas de conservação.

O roteiro pretende guiar e recomendar melhorias para as parcerias das áreas de conservação da biodiversidade em Moçambique, baseado nos relatórios produzidos nesta consultoria e importa destacar dois:

• Avaliação de parcerias de gestão colaborativa (PGC) em Moçambique;
• Análise do quadro legal de Moçambique para o estabelecimento de parcerias na gestão das áreas de conservação.

Os resultados do estudo, vêm ajudar a definir boas práticas para gestão colaborativa nas áreas da conservação em Moçambique, entre comunidades, Governo e investidores. O estudo ajuda também a consolidar um quadro colaborativo, transparente que quando bem definido vai resultar em capacitação e investimento do sector privado e consequente melhoria do nível de vida das comunidades locais.

O debate concluiu e sugeriu alguns passos subsequentes, realçando:

• Os resultados do estudo serão submetidos ao MITADER para informação e definição das prioridades a seguir;
• É necessário que os participantes da reunião aprofundem a leitura dos relatórios apresentados para melhor verificação, avaliação e compreensão dos factores e indicadores de sucesso dos modelos de co-gestão apresentados bem como do estudo realizado, e a situação de Moçambique com base neste estudo;
• Existe a necessidade do país melhorar a sua posição através da definição da estratégia correcta, que pode ser estudada com recurso aos instrumentos que o estudo nos traz;
• A ANAC, está plenamente de acordo com as recomendações do estudo em prosseguir com a promoção de parcerias colaborativas nas ACs.

Para mais informações sobre o Estudo dos Modelos de Co- gestão, acesse:

The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND just received from the German Government through KfW, a donation of 9 million euros for the endowment fund.

With this new grant, whose contract signed yesterday (21/12/2017) in Maputo, the total German Cooperation contribution to BIOFUND ascends to 25 million euros.

BIOFUND’s endowment also has other important subscriptions by Conservation International and GEF (Global Environmental Facility), through the World Bank, summing at this moment the equivalent of 32 million US dollars.

BIOFUND finances the operational costs of many units of the National Conservation Area System, using own resources and funds made available by the Agence Française du Development (AFD) and the World Bank.

The current list of Conservation Areas benefiting from BIOFUND funding includes the Quirimbas National Park, the Gilé National Reserve, the Environmental Protection Area of the Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago, the Chimanimani National Reserve, the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, the Zinave National Park, the Limpopo National Park, the São Sebastião Total Protection Zone, the Maputo Special Reserve and the Ponta do Ouro Marine Partial Reserve.

BIOFUND, the country’s first environmental fund, is a private, non-profit entity whose goal is to provide sustainable financing for conservation in line with international best practices.

The photographic exhibition “Biodiversidade de Moçambique (Biodiversidade Daqui)” [“Biodiversity of Mozambique (Our Biodiversity)] is open to the public, from 8 to 15 December in the auditorium of the head office of the Commercial and Investment Bank (BCI).

This exhibition is the result of a photographic expedition financed by BIOFUND, and undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team coordinated by WildlifeMoz and Still Standing. Its central purpose was to produce audio-visual materials on the biodiversity of the Maputo Special Reserve (REM) and of the Ponta Do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, in order to stimulate collaborative civic education activities which, highlight and improve understanding about the importance of the REM, in order to ensure that more effective decisions will later be taken about the future of the conservation of the biodiversity of this area. It is also intended to draw the attention of the public in general to the existence of the REM and the care to be taken when visiting it or passing through the surrounding areas.

The exhibition also displays photographs taken on the exhibition in 2011 to Mount Namuli by the group Moçambique Aventura (Mozambique Adventure). The group challenged itself to climb the highest mountains in the country. It had previously climbed Mount Binga and the Gorongosa range.

The exhibition was opened during the launch of the bio card (see here), on 8 December, and can be visited from Monday to Friday, from 08.00 to 17.00, in the Auditorium of the head office of the BCI, located on Avenida 25 de Setembro, Nº 4. Come and look at our biodiversity!

NOTE: Because of scheduling issues at the place where the exhibition is on display (the Auditorium of the head office of the  BCI), the closing date has been changed, and now 15 December (Friday) will be the last day of the exhibition.

The Commercial and Investment Bank (BCI), in partnership with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), on 8 December launched Mozambique’s first biodegradable debit card- the bio card.

This innovative product of biological origin is made from PLA (polylactic acid), a substitute for plastic derived from petroleum, which is obtained from renewable sources (maize). It can be recycled, and incinerated or deposited in landfills, because it is not toxic.

The bio card together with a BCI current account, allows the client to undertake a series of banking operations, in complete comfort and security, at any Point of Sale (POS) terminal or Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) of the Visa Electron or SIMOrede networks, in Mozambique and abroad. In addition to the banking component, the bio card is associated with the BCI social responsibility programme, under which, every time that the card is used at a POS, the BCI channels a percentage (0.04%) of the amount of the transaction to BIOFUND, without any cost to the client, thus allowing all Mozambicans to contribute actively towards the conservation of the rich biodiversity of our country. See here the poster for the bio card.

The ceremony launching the card took place in the auditorium at the head office of the BCI. Its central moments were the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the BCI and BIOFUND, by the Chairperson of the Executive Commission of the BCI, Dr. Paulo Sousa, and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of BIOFUND, Dr. Abdul Magid Osman, and the symbolic handover of bio cards.

On the same occasion, the exhibition “Biodiversidade de Moçambique (Biodiversidade Daqui)” [“Biodiversity of Mozambique (Our Biodiversity)”] was opened. Until 15 December, the exhibition will display about 50 photos of rare beauty showing various species of flora and fauna, and habitats, taken in the Maputo Special Reserve (REM), in the Ponta Do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, and at Mount Namuli. It is open to the public at the BCI head office, on Av. 25 de Setembro, Nº 4, from 09.00 to 17.00.

On this occasion, the films “The Biodiversity of Mozambique” and “The Biodiversity of the Maputo Special Reserve (REM)” were also shown illustrating the biodiversity of the country, and the landscape and wildlife wealth of the Maputo Special Reserve (REM) and of the Ponta Do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve.

You can obtain more information on the launch of the bio card at the following links:

Jornal Esquento – Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf

Jornal Horizonte – Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf

Jornal Vertical – Lançamento Cartão Bio.pdf

A training session on No Net Loss, Mitigation Hierarchy and Biodiversity Offsets took place on 28 November 2017 in the Higher Hotel and Tourism Industry School of the Eduardo Mondlane University, in the framework of the biodiversity offsets implemented by BIOFUND and by the COMBO/WCS project.

This training is part of the activities of the Civic Partnership for Good Governance (PCBG) programme, implemented by Counterpart International (CPI), which counts on funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The training was undertaken with great support from the Mozambican government, represented by the Inhambane Provincial Directorate of Land, Environment and Rural Development, for about 30 staff members in environmental management, planning, infrastructures, research and various Government sectors and institutions, conservation areas, research institutions, civil society organisations and the private sector in Inhambane province.

The main purpose of this training was to build the capacity of participants in matters concerning biodiversity offsets through introducing the concept of no net loss of biodiversity and the application of the mitigation hierarchy so as to reconcile the development of economic activities with the conservation of biodiversity. It also included contextualisation on the legal framework for the application of the concept of no net loss of biodiversity and the implementation of biodiversity offsets in Africa, and particularly in Mozambique.

The training took place in the context of an exercise of a participatory survey of information about biodiversity in the Pomene National Reserve, undertaken in collaboration with the COMBO project, BIOFUND and the UEM, with the objective of assessing the stage of degradation of key habitats in this conservation area, so as to prepare it for potential implementation of biodiversity offsets.

BIOFUND and COMBO are undertaking a baseline study in the conservation areas of Inhambane province to assess the capacity of implementing pilot areas of “concepts of aggregate offsets”.

Under the present collaboration, a pilot study is under way in the Pomene National Reserve (RNP) in  Inhambane Province in partnership with the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), represented by the  Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Engineering to evaluate the ecological condition of the mangrove and miombo forests and the establishment of a reference level for biodiversity offset initiatives in that region, as well as assessment of the ecosystem services provided by  the mangrove and miombo forests and their relationship with the communities dependent on these resources.

A multi-disciplinary team is involved in holding this study, containing an approximate total of 35 researchers, including specialists in mangroves, in miombo forests, and in terrestrial and marine fauna, sociologists, teachers and students from the classes of the UEM Master’s Courses on the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity and on Agricultural Development and Rural Economy, and staff representing the RNP.

This collaboration fits in with the interest of the three organisations in cooperating for the conservation of biodiversity, culminating with the production of baseline studies on the state of conservation and metrics of biodiversity for key habitats in the Pomene Reserve; the use and management of resources; building the capacity of various stakeholders including members of the Government, students and communities about the importance of natural resources and the future perspectives for biodiversity offset projects so as to reconcile economic development with the preservation of natural resources for future generations.

This activity falls under the Civic Partnership for Good Governance Programme (PCBG), of Counterpart International (CPI), financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by BIOFUND as the project: Biodiversity Offsets: Harmonising Development and Conservation.

The Board of Directors of BIOFUND met on November 23rd at its 10th Session. Its main agenda was to present and discuss the basis for a new strategy for BIOFUND, in the context of the greater demand for financing and the consequent growth of the institution. In addition to this theme, the main activities of BIOFUND have been discussed since the last session of the Board of Directors, with emphasis to the funding of 9 Conservation Areas (covering 6 provinces) financed by the World Bank (Mozbio Project) and by AFD (projecto Abelha).

BIOFUND held for the third time, from 17 to 31 October, the exhibition and multimedia fair, under the motto “The Culture of Conservation and Sustainable Development”, which once again highlighted the objectives of BIOFUND’s work on awareness of civil society (especially children and young people), to the importance and challenges of biodiversity conservation, this time with a focus on Zambézia province.

This event had a great impact at the local level, having received 12 exhibitors for the fair (DPTADER, COSV, SUSTENTA, UPQ, IFPQ, UEM, UCM, UNIZAMBEZE, ICEI, ISHCT, A POLITÉCNICA, RNG-IGF) and more than 4000 visitors, amongst students and teachers from various higher education institutions, and in particular the young people and children of about 43 primary and secondary schools in the city of Quelimane, including children from 5 schools in the districts of Gilé and Pebane who had the opportunity to visit the exhibition and the fair as well as participate in educational activities and various lectures and presentations related to biodiversity.

During the event, many of the visitors left their comments, highlighting:

“I liked the initiative, because the students take a baggage with them and they will take the message, what they saw to the other colleagues who did not come.” Professor Agnélia Pires.

“I really enjoyed the exhibition. It’s my first time to take part in one. The explanation was brief and precise, very good. Talking about biodiversity has led me to wake up on a very good reflection about the care of the nature in which we live (live), and raised my self-esteem about the conservation of the species of plants as well as animals of our country and of the whole world. ” Hermenegildo Raúl.

“Fortunately I liked everything, from the explanations of the animals and aquatic herbs, the lakes and rivers of Mozambique, the insects and reptiles, especially the turtles, etc. I hope there are more exhibitions of these … It was good! Thanks.”. Gunyia Bruno Dramusse.

“Thank you to BIOFUND for this impressive exhibition. It is an important step towards preserving the beauty and rich biodiversity of Mozambique for Mozambicans and the whole world. I am very happy that many dedicated professionals work here. Regards! “Theodora Dell- USAID.

The event at Zambézia also allowed the identification of relevant local issues and the possibility of exploring potential synergies in the short and medium term between the partners.

The closing of the exhibition was held on 31 October at the Institute for Teacher Education, which was attended by 100 participants in the last forum, where presentations and debates were held on the theme: “Environmental education and the environment: challenges for the future “, highlighting the presentations of Politecnica, Portucel and COMBO project. In the same session, a bicycle was awarded to a student of the Complete Elementary School Manhaua Expansion (1^st and 2st grades), Lúcia Sitiman, winner of the contest to guess the sounds of animals. Certificates were also delivered to the 16 guides (students from UEM, Universidade Pedagógica and UniZambeze) as recognition for their daily work during these two weeks at the exhibition.

In the Radio Moçambique program “Café da manhã” (available here), emphasis was placed on this BIOFUND initiative, recognizing the importance of holding this exhibition sensitizing Mozambican society on the importance of conserving its natural heritage. “Biodiversity are all resources of our day-to-day life,” said Diogo Borges, Provincial Director of Terra, Environment and Rural Development of Zambézia. Efforts to conserve our biodiversity should start with every Mozambican – words from one of the listeners; We are all beneficiaries of the goods and services provided by biodiversity and all responsible for its conservation!

This exhibition was made possible thanks to the support and collaboration of the Pedagogic University, the Quelimane Teachers’ Training Institute (IFPQ), the University Foundation for the Development of Education (FUNDE / A Politécnica), the Pedagogic University Foundation (FUP) the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), the Government of the Province of Zambézia and the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) and the sponsorship of the World Bank, Mozbio Project, FNDS, European Union and SUSTENTA Project.

In this second week dedicated to the exhibition on Biodiversity in Quelimane, we reached a total of more than 3000 visitors who had the opportunity to know more about our natural heritage exploring the exhibition with the help of guides, and increased, enriched and shared knowledge, participating in lectures and mini-courses with emphasis on the theme: Environmental Education, Coastal Erosion: Mitigation Measures.

Attention was given yesterday to the special visit of a group of 10 children (5 girls and 5 boys) selected based on their performance, from 5 schools from Gilé district (Escola Primária Completa Malema Centro and Escola Primária Completa Naheche) and Pebane district (Escola Primária Completa Musseia, Escola Primária Completa Sacani and Escola Primária Completa Mutacane), accompany by two teachers (see photos). These visitors enjoyed the program of the exhibition, which seeks through educational and recreational activities especially geared to the young public, stimulate the imagination around the biodiversity and its conservation: guided tour of the exhibition; cinema session in the educational film room on the conservation of natural resources; and animal sounds contest having the winners received prizes. This initiative of exchange of experiences of Pebane and Gilé students was carried out by COSV with the support of the European Union and the Italian Cooperation, within the framework of the project” Reinforcement of Financial Sustainability and Biodiversity of the Gile National Reserve.

In this edition of the exhibition that takes place in Zambézia, one of the great highlights is the coconut tree, an extremely important flora resource in this province, that suffers from the lethal yellowing, and for these reasons chosen as a mascot this event. After the elephant and the rhinoceros, mascots of the exhibitions of 2015 and 2016 in Maputo and Gaza, respectively, this is the first exhibition that stands out with a mascot of a plant species. The coconut mascot (attached photos), built using metal and aluminum, can be enjoyed in the garden of the Teacher Training Institute of Quelimane. Congratulations to the students Lazaro Castro Assuate, António José Manuel and Said Benjamim Dualia, from the second year of the Visual Education course at Pedagogical University of Quelimane that under the supervision of their teacher, Mahomed Vali, designed and implemented this beautiful work!

Walking towards the end of the exhibition, we present here the program for the next few days.

The translocation of animals to Maputo Special Reserve (MSR) and to Zinave National Park (ZNP) has already finished with the introduction of 3.108 animals of different species, corresponding to 66% of the 4.712 planned.

The MSR received 2.325 animals, from which 1.161 came from the Big Game Park of Swazilandia, specifically, 498 African antelopes, 408 zebras, 194 blue wildebeest, 50 greater kudu and 12 giraffes. The Ezemvelo Reserve of South Africa provided 251 Nyalas and the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) contributed with 812 waterbucks and 100 warthogs.

The ZNP received 783 animals, from which 51 African antelopes and 2 elephants came from Zimbabwe, 387 waterbucks and 93 reedbucks originated from Gorongosa National Park and 250 buffalos came from Marromeu National Reserve.

Beside MSR and ZNP, the Official Coutada nº 9, localized in the Macossa district, Manica province, also received 200 buffalos from Marromeu National Reserve (MNR).

The translocation of various species of animals aims at improving the tourism product, resulting in the creation of conditions for tourism investment and a consequent increase in the number of visitors in the Conservation Areas.

This translocation operation represents an historical moment, being the largest ever carried out in the country, as well as marking a contribution of fauna from our own national parks (GNP and MNR).

The national conservation area system covers approximately 18,57 million of hectares, corresponding to about 25% of the national territory, including 8 National Parks, 7 National Reserves, 1 Environmental Protected Area, 20 Official Hunting Areas, 3 Community Conservation Areas and 50 Fazendas do Bravio.

Last Friday, the exhibition received 257 visitors, as well 50 participants on the speech session about: The Community lands delimitation: The contribution of the land tenure security to improve better life conditions to the local community in Nicoadala- Zambezia, and, Profiling of sawmills Madal and TTT Timber in Quelimane city during 2010 to 2015.

The exhibition continued over the weekend, registering approximately 116 visitors who learned more about the most important ecosystems, the habitats and the species of our natural patrimony. It still opened to the public until 31^st October.

Yesterday, 23^rd October, the exhibition received more than 353 visitors. Yesterday, started the mini-courses sessions, with the first class about: Seedlings and ornamental plants production, which count with the participation of 50 young students from 25 de Setembro School, and some individuals. Additionally, speech sessions were conducted about: Rice tolerance valuation on saline soils; The impact of inadequate management of solids residues in biodiversity; Artificial soil nutrition and biodiversity conservation. The exhibition and the speech sessions still opened until the last day, 31^st October, and the mini courses will occur until 30^th October. For further details please consult the program: Exhibition Program

The initiative aims to raise awareness among children and young people about the importance of biodiversity in Mozambique, with particular emphasis on Zambézia province. During this event students from various schools enjoyed participation in educational and recreational activities that stimulate the taste for art and imagination around biodiversity, as well as the visualization of educational films on the conservation of natural resources. The winner of the wild animal sound guessing game was also spotted, in which Lúcia Adelino Sitiman, from the Complete Elementary School of 1º and 2º Manhaua Expansão, will win a bicycle. Congratulations Lucia!

The biodiversity fair in Zambézia was also held during 3 days, with the participation of about 15 exhibitors from various Government institutions, academia, NGOs and conservation and sustainable development projects.

The second day of the forum was attended by around 200 people from diverse areas related to biodiversity conservation,that participated in the Public Consultation Forum of the European Union Biodiversity Support Program in Mozambique, highlighting possible actions in Zambézia province.

Presentations and debates were held on different areas related to Biodiversity Conservation, with emphasis on the conservation programs in the Gilé National Reserve, the lethal yellowing of the coconut tree in Zambézia, the exploitation and conservation of the mangrove forests that are being deforested around Quelimane, conservation alternatives based on the experience of local communities, management of water resources in Milange, and the sustainable use of natural resources on Mount Mulange in Malawi where environments similar to Mozambique mirror experiences with positive and innovative results in which we can explore learning and synergies.

The third day of the forum had about 100 participants and covered themes of “Integrated Landscape Management in Zambézia” highlighting ongoing initiatives and projects on support to agriculture and private, sustainable projects, Standing Forest and REDD +, green governance initiatives the COSV and the CIS’s syntrophic agriculture as well as possible contradictions and conflicts in communities in the Conservation Areas. There was also information and debate on the ongoing work in support of communities and biodiversity in the Archipelago of the First and Second Islands, conducted by the WWF-Care Alliance. The variety of synergies and integrated work potential that emerged as a result of information sharing among these diverse initiatives has been very positive.

The exhibition is open to the public on a daily basis until 31 October, including presentations and mini-courses under the theme “Biodiversity for communities, children and young people” (see program here), as well as the screening of films and guided visits to the exhibition. This event, which goes on in its 3rd edition, has as a mascot the coconut tree, emblematic tree of Zambezia, which was made a permanent sculpture (by the students of the Visual Education course of the Pedagogic University) that is implanted in the place of the exhibition, in IFP-Q.

On the first day, there were more than 400 visitors, including 4 primary schools and 1 secondary school. As a complement to this event, a forum was started yesterday under the theme “The Current State of Biodiversity in the Province of Zambezia”, preceded by the official ceremony presided by His Excellency the Governor of the Province, with an audience of more than 200 participants, including members of government, partners, NGOs, civil society and students. The Forum presented the principal initiatives in the province and the mechanisms of coordination and knowledge sharing, with a lively discussion about the problem of itinerant agriculture and biomass fuels which contribute to deforestation.

This is the 3^rd edition of BIOFUND’s travelling exhibition, realized this year in partnership with the Pedagogic University (UP), the Provincial Government of Zambezia, the University Foundation for Development of Education (FUNDE), the Ministry of Education and Human Development and the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), with sponsorship from the World Bank’s, MozBio project, FNDS, the SUSTENTA project, and the European Union.

Today (18^th October), the Forum will continue, highlighting the “Public Consultation on the future program of biodiversity support by the European Union” as well as the theme of “Biodiversity and Conservation in Zambezia Province”.

At its meeting on 21 September 2017, the Board of Directors of BIOFUND approved further financing to be granted to conservation areas over the period 2018-2020, under the 3rd Cycle of Project Bee.

Out of the 9 proposals received, a jury appointed by BIOFUND selected three of the bidders for financing. Amounts of between 9,500,000 and 15,000,000 MT are being attributed for a period of 3 years. The bidders selected are:

1. Zinave National Park (terrestrial conservation area, Inhambane province);
2. Bazaruto National Park (terrestrial conservation area, Inhambane province);
3. Maputo Special Reserve (terrestrial and marine conservation area, Maputo province).

It should be mentioned that this financing joins those which BIOFUND has already been undertaking since 2016, under the 1st and 2nd cycles of Project Bee, benefitting the following conservation areas: the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (Maputo province), Limpopo National Park (Gaza province), Cape S. Sebastião Total Protection Zone (Inhambane province), Gilé National Reserve (Zambézia province), Quirimbas National Park (Cabo Delgado province) under the same financing project.

Project Bee is based on a fund that has been formed 20% by BIOFUND itself, and 80% by the French Development Agency (AFD), under the Fourth Contract on Debt Reduction and Development (C2D) signed between the governments of the Republic of Mozambique and the French Republic on 20 July 2015 for the “Project to support the conservation areas and the preservation of elephants in Mozambique” (APEM).

The BIOFUND contribution results from the income from its investment fund, formed out of contributions from German Cooperation through KfW (USD 17M), from the GEF through the World Bank (USD 3.2 M) and from Conservation International/GCF (USD 1M).

In addition to Project Bee, regarded as the standard modality for its financing, BIOFUND is active in mobilising funds for other types of financial support for conservation, and currently channels an average of 1 million USD per year, to the National System of Conservation Areas.

Organised by BIOFUND, this will be the third edition of the exhibition which was  shown first in Maputo, in 2015, during the public launch of this foundation. In 2016 the exhibition was shown in the city of Xai-Xai, in Gaza province.

The main purpose of the exhibition is to share knowledge about biodiversity and about the many risks that hang over it, as well as to publicise initiatives to conserve and value our rich natural heritage. Thus The Culture of Conservation and Sustainable Development will have a special focus on Zambézia province.

The joint organisers of this exhibition are the Pedagogic University (UP) and the Quelimane Teacher Training Institute (IFPQ). This initiative has also enjoyed the support of the University Foundation for the Development of Education (FUNDE/A Politécnica), of the Pedagogic University Foundation (FUP), of the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH), of the National Administration of the Conservation Areas (ANAC), and of the Zambézia provincial government.

Zambezia has been chosen for the current stage because of awareness of the challenges – and also the opportunities – that are posed in this province for the conservation of biodiversity, and the interest shown by some national and international partners who are financing important projects in this part of the country.

The event is sponsored by the World Bank, the MozBio project and the European Union. The various exhibition panels are the result of collaboration between BIOFUND and several research institutions.

The exhibition will be held on the premises of the Quelimane Teacher Training Institute and will resort to a variety of communication technologies to facilitate the interaction of the public with the material on display.

The main activities will be guided visits to the exhibition, lectures, seminars, the showing of films, and educational games with the aim of making the new generations aware of environmental questions and awakening their interest in nature.

The formal invitation and the detailed programme will be distributed shortly.

The Environmental Education Cooperative Ntumbuluku and partners present Operação Caco – Língamo, happening on September 16 (Saturday), from 07h30 to 10h30 at Língamo Salines in Matola A. This cleanup will be allusive to the celebrations of the World Day of Cleanliness of the Beaches and Rivers, and is framed in the civic movement Let’s Do it. Click here for more details.

The Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity will take part in the USAID program Parceria Cívica para Boa Governação, implemented by Counterpart International focusing on strengthening the impact of civic activism to improve accountable, effective democratic governance in Mozambique, to protect biodiversity. A grant agreement between the parties was signed on July 17, 2017.

BIOFUND will foster civic activism to advocate for the improvement of the legal framework that promotes economic development in tandem with the protection of the natural renewable resource base for a “No Net Loss” concept of biodiversity.

At the national level, BIOFUND will advocate for the development of a specific No Net Loss Decree; at the same time, will help to  improve the regulations supplementing the new Conservation Law and providing inputs into the revisions of the Environmental Law and other relevant legislation to influence the wider policy environment for No Net Loss. At the local level, the project will equip local communities and civil society organizations in Conservation Areas in Inhambane Province with skills and knowledge through training sessions, and help them to engage in constructive dialogue on No Net Loss and Biodiversity Offsets to preserve or improve the quality of the natural resources upon which they depend for their livelihoods.

BIOFUND organised, from 24 to 28 July, a training session on drawing up conservation projects, taking as an example the Terms of Reference for the 3rd Cycle of Project Bee. The event took place in Maputo city, and was attended by about 25 participants, including the administrators of the Conservation Areas, accompanied by one staff member from the area of planning and finance, and invited representatives of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC).

This was the second time that BIOFUND brought together the managers of the conservation areas in order to inform them of the procedures necessary to bid for financing from BIOFUND. The first training session was held in 2016, focusing on the administrative and financial procedures for implementing projects financed by BIOFUND.

The training was designed to provide broad and detailed understanding of each of the technical stages and procedures necessary for drawing up project proposals to bid for the sources of funding available at BIOFUND. The event allowed the clarification of doubts and held exercises in application as a way of practicing the concept and testing the process.

This training culminated with a positive assessment of the participants, who reiterated the need to hold more courses of the kind in coming years, involving more staff from the Conservation Areas, in order to ensure more and better use of what was learnt.

In July, a delegation consisting of the Director of Programmes, the Director of Administration and Finance and the Technical Advisor of BIOFUND made a working visit to FUNBIO – the Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity – under the existing partnership between the two institutions, and so as to give continuity to the preceding visit by the Executive Director of BIOFUND to that organisation at the start of July.

This partnership with FUNBIO envisages a series of activities of technical support for BIOFUND with the aim of ensuring implementation of best practices in complying with its mission.

FUNBIO is one of the oldest environmental funds internationally, since it began its operations in 1996. It is an innovative private mechanism, set up to develop strategies that contribute towards the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) in Brazil. In 21 years of operation, it has acted as a strategic partner of the public and private sectors and of civil society in conservation initiatives.

Over the two decades, FUNBIO has supported: 270 projects of 232 different institutions, 310 protected areas covering 67 million hectares; benefitting 7 biomas, and with about USD 600 million administered.

The BIOFUND visit had two goals: familiarisation with the history of the development and institutional evolution of FUNBIO, current activities, main challenges and opportunities; and sharing experience in the technical and financial area, with special stress on monitoring, disbursement procedures, accountability, financial sustainability, management of assets and institutional communication.

This exchange of experience, which lasted for about 10 days, was characterised by successive meetings with the various areas of operation of FUNBIO, where new work methods and approaches were identified, which could be adapted and adopted by BIOFUND.

Field visits were also held to the Tijuca National Park – one of the best conservation units in the country – and to two FUNBIO beneficiaries, namely the Cunhambebe State Park, resulting from the use of environmental compensation funds of Chevron (legal obligations), and BRBIO an NGO specialised in research on marine themes, particularly corals, and in raising environmental awareness. The objective of these visits was to get to know the work of FUNBIO on the ground and to explore possible opportunities for interchange between conservation areas.

In general, the visit to FUNBIO was extremely advantageous and made an impact, especially in terms of the lessons learnt about the system and structure of how FUNBIO functions and the opening of space for short and medium term partnerships.

The Executive Director of BIOFUND – Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Luís B. Honwana, visited Brazil from 11 to 18 June, by invitation of the World Bank, in the capacity of advisor to the delegation of MITADER, for contacts with various federal bodies in the conservation sector.

The purpose of this visit was to prepare the Plan of Action for the trilateral Brazil/ Mozambique/ World Bank agreement, in the framework of South-South cooperation, which was recently signed in Maputo.

This Memorandum of Understanding covers a wide range of matters ranging from territorial planning to biodiversity and even to mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

According to the World Bank, some of the specific objectives of the study include, but are not limited to: effective reforms of public policies for the environment and conservation agriculture; innovative measures to increase land tenure regularisation; planting technologies for restored areas; development of the value chain and promotion of the rural entrepreneurship of the smallholders; and also the potential of public-private partnerships to provide rural credit flows to small farmers and agro-business.