In order to raise awareness about “PROMOVE Biodiversidade”, the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) and the European Union, on 30 March 2021, presented the project “PROMOVE Biodiversidade” to the Council of Representation of the State Secretariat of Zambezia Province.

The meeting, chaired by the Secretary of State for Zambezia Province, Judith Mussácula Faria, was attended by representatives of the various bodies in the province, who were enthusiastic about the prospects for the start of the project “PROMOVE Biodiversidade”.

In her speech, Judith Mussácula Faria said the fact that the project “PROMOVE” covers a variety of components will allow greater benefits for the target areas. She added that community involvement is indispensable in identifying the best solutions for the conservation of biodiversity.

BIOFUND will manage about 10.2 million Euros while 2.2 million Euros will be managed by the Mozambican government through ANAC.

Cidália Mahumane, the Director of Planning, Cooperation and Studies of ANAC, said that, through Component 1 of the project “PROMOVE Biodiversidade”, it is expected to strengthen the governance framework of the institutions that handle natural resources, with special focus on the Administrative Authority of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) through the creation of mechanisms to involve academic and research institutions in the implementation of the CITES Convention.

For Alexandra Jorge, the BIOFUND Director of Programmes, this meeting has made it possible to create an involvement with the local government, so that the local authorities contribute towards attaining the results of the project, which will cover three target areas in Zambezia and Nampula provinces: the Gilé National Park, Mount Mabu and the Environmental Protection Area of the First and Second Islands (APAIPS), in the components of conservation of biodiversity, community development and research.

In the case of the Gilé National Park, there are many challenges for biodiversity, characterised by illegal extractive activities by the local population, as well as by outsiders, including uncontrolled bush fires which occur every year in the area and destroy much of the fauna and flora. Commercial logging and the exploitation of mineral products are also a major challenge in the buffer zone of the Gilé National Park.

According to the representative of the European Union and manager of “PROMOVE Biodiversidade”, Aude Guignard, this project is part of the PROMOVE programme, set up in 2018 through an agreement between the European Union and the Mozambican government. The overall PROMOVE programme has a total budget of 360 million Euros and covers PROMOVE-Nutrition, PROMOVE-Energy, PROMOVE-Roads, PROMOVE-Health, PROMOVE-Trade and PROMOVE-Biodiversity. PROMOVE-Biodiversity began in 2019 and has a budget of about 13 million Euros.

The overall goal of “PROMOVE Biodiversidade” is to contribute to sustainable economic growth, and to the reduction of poverty and vulnerability (against the impacts of climate change), through the sustainable use of natural resources, with an implementation period of five years.