By Abdullahi Lukman
Mozambique has launched a US$15.4 million wildlife conservation initiative aimed at protecting biodiversity, strengthening community livelihoods and improving climate resilience across two major conservation landscapes.
The Government of Mozambique, through the National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched the Transforming Wildlife Conservation and Livelihoods at Landscape Scale in Mozambique (TRANSFORM) project in Maputo on Wednesday.
Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the project will run until 2033 and focus on the Gorongosa–Marromeu and Rovuma–Lugenda landscapes.
It seeks to improve how wildlife conservation is planned, financed and implemented while ensuring that communities living in and around protected areas benefit from conservation activities.
The initiative will address major threats to biodiversity, including deforestation, poaching, wildlife trafficking, habitat destruction, land degradation and human-wildlife conflict.
It is expected to improve the management of more than three million hectares of high-value terrestrial ecosystems and strengthen ecological corridors connecting important wildlife habitats.
The project also aims to improve local livelihoods through sustainable economic activities linked to wildlife and natural resources. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring that women and young people have access to financing, employment and other opportunities created through conservation.
Officials said protecting ecosystems is also important for climate resilience.
Healthy forests, wetlands and other natural systems can provide communities with protection from climate-related risks while supporting essential ecosystem services and helping reduce carbon emissions.
ANAC Director-General Pejul Calenga called for stronger cooperation among government institutions, communities and other conservation partners, saying coordinated action would be critical to achieving lasting results.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Programmes Cleophas Torori said conservation would be more sustainable when communities see clear economic and social benefits from protecting natural resources. He also stressed that women and young people should play a central role in the project.
TRANSFORM will be implemented through five main areas: strengthening conservation-area networks, improving policy and regulatory frameworks, creating socio-economic benefits from wildlife management, promoting knowledge-sharing and coordination, and strengthening monitoring and evaluation.
The project builds on earlier biodiversity investments supported by the GEF and seeks to expand their impact through a broader landscape-based approach.
Mozambique is also facing growing climate-related risks. Government contingency planning for the 2025/2026 rainy and cyclone season estimated that up to 2.7 million people could potentially be affected. Authorities say maintaining healthy ecosystems can serve as a natural defence against such threats.
Through the project, Mozambique and its partners hope to demonstrate that biodiversity protection, economic development, community resilience and climate action can be pursued together as part of the country’s long-term sustainable development.
