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.