The Wildilfe Conservation Society (WCS), the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), the Aid for the Development of People for People ADPP, ProAzul, the Institute of Oceanography of Mozambique (InOM), the Department of Biological Sciences of Eduardo Mondlane University (DCB-UEM) and the Environment Association (AMA) launched the project “Building a Blue Future for Ecosystems and People on the East African Coast” on 23 August, 2022 in Maputo City.

Abbreviated as “Futuro Azul”, the project is funded by Blue Action Fund (BAF) and other international donors, and its aim is the conservation of Mozambique’s marine and coastal biodiversity, with focus on reducing the impacts of climate change in the coastal areas of the country, specifically in Memba and Mossuril districts of Nampula province.

The project will be implemented during five years (2022 to 2027), and it is aimed at improving biodiversity and ecosystem services that contribute to reducing the vulnerability of local communities, increasing their resilience to the impacts of climate change, strengthening coastal protection and promoting livelihoods based on natural resources, especially fishing.

The official launching ceremony of the project was conducted by the Director of WCS Mozambique, Mr. Afonso Madope, who stressed in his speech that all partners should make this initiative an innovative project that really makes difference in the field and that it should be an example for the future of artisanal fishing sustainability, coastal resilience to climate change, coastal communities’ livelihoods and marine conservation in Mozambique.

The launch ceremony was preceded by an activity planning and start-up workshop, which took place on August 22, 2022, at ADPP Mozambique, with the participation of all project partners.

In this project, BIOFUND will be in charge of improving the knowledge, expertise and capacity of the relevant national agencies through the annual realization of a technical-scientific conference and exhibition on Ecosystem-based Marine Adaptation and Conservation, which will be integrated into the annual exhibition of biodiversity of BIOFUND.