MOZAMBIQUE

Through mangrove restoration, this project helps protect against climate change, restores vital ecosystems and empowers women and communities.

MOZAMBIQUE

PLANTING PARTNER

Eden Reforestation Projects

Maputo Bay, Mozambique

This project supports the restoration of decimated mangroves in the estuaries surrounding Maputo Bay in Mozambique. The Bela Vista and Tsolombane Reserve sites near the capital city of Maputo were once a bustling habitat for mangroves and the many animals that live within them. The area suffered significant losses during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-92) when they were set on fire to prevent hiding rebels. These days, alongside settlements and human activities such as charcoal making, Maputo Bay's estuary system is threatened by increased flood events directly correlated to climate change, severely impacting these coastal communities. Planting in this area helps stabilise the coastline and increases protection against storms and other weather events. The project also contributes to the "Maputaland Coastal Forest Mosaic", a significant ecosystem which hosts more than 470 bird species, with four species and 43 subspecies endemic or near-endemic to the area.

OUR IMPACTS.

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861

Hectares of forest planted

70%

Female workforce

4205373_nature_eco_ecology_organic_solar

750,000

Trees to plant per year

LOCAL IMPACT.

By employing a majority female workforce (70%), this project has women at its heart. The project aims to empower women in the area and increase the representation of women in leadership positions. It also provides the local community with the necessary training and encourages participation in consultation meetings regarding decisions about the forest and land. As much of the local community relies on fishing and charcoal to survive, the health of the mangroves and surrounding ecosystems is vital to those who live near Maputo Bay. As well as restoring habitats to improve fishing opportunities and provide fuelwood, the project employs the local communities to plant, creating jobs and alternative livelihoods in Mozambique. This income allows families to send their children to school and start microenterprises. As well as creating a long-term positive relationship between the locals and the forest, over the next 10+ years, the Bela Vista people will reclaim stewardship of this land and benefit from more productive and sustainable fisheries.

“It makes me proud to leave a legacy for my children,” says Amélia. “As they grow up, they will know that their mother contributed to planting trees to restore the environment.”

Amélia Alberto Chilengue

IMPACT ON NATURE.

Like other coastal wetlands, Mangroves are powerful carbon sinks and store up to five times as much organic carbon as tropical upland forests. They also have characteristic prop-roots, which provide a habitat for many aquatic species and function as a nursery ground for various fish and shellfish species. These ecosystems offer vital roosting and nesting places for wading and shorebirds and are essential habitats for migratory birds, marine turtles, dugongs and porpoises. The mangroves of Maputo Bay are also part of the "Maputaland Coastal Forest Mosaic", a hugely significant ecosystem that hosts many species native to the area.

PROJECT IMPACT.

While no one is safe from the effects of climate change, the global south disproportionately bears the brunt of its impacts. Alongside the environmental and social implications of the project, restoring these mangrove forests helps stabilise the coastline and increases the area's resilience when facing increasingly volatile weather conditions and heavy storms.
In Mozambique, mangroves planted 100 metres from the coastline are protected by law. But more protection is needed to capture the extent of the mangrove estuary systems near Bela Vista. In creating the project, Eden Reforestation will ensure that forest use will be limited by a contractual commitment to protect the trees in perpetuity, and timber extraction will be prohibited, allowing both forest and community to thrive for years to come.