Adaptation in the coastal zones of Mozambique
What is the project about?
The coastal zone of Mozambique is likely to experience significant impacts as a result of climate change in the course of this century, even if the efforts expected from the international community to stabilise atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations eventuate. Mean sea levels are expected to rise, wave climates are likely to alter and the frequency and intensity of storms are projected to increase.
More than 60% of the population lives in coastal areas either in urban or rural settings, placing significant pressure on coastal resources and natural capital. The combination of the inherent dynamic nature of coastlines, exposure to destructive maritime hazards, Sea Level Rise (SLR), inadequate land-use planning and high population pressure on natural resources in coastal zones renders the Mozambican coastline highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, particularly climate change-induced coastal erosion.
Ecosystem services, for example, those provided by mangrove swamps, dune systems and coral reefs, are critical in providing resilience against SLR and destructive maritime hazards (storm surges, tsunamis and tropical cyclones). So too is addressing the widespread poverty in coastal areas, which drives much of the degradation of ecosystems. Managed retreat, accommodation and protection are the three types of strategies available to manage sea level rise and storm surges.
The project has been designed to address the most urgent and immediate adaptation priorities identified in the NAPA, which analyzed the multiple climate risks and vulnerabilities of Mozambique (MICOA 2003; MICOA 2007). The NAPA indicates four specific objectives that contribute to the above goal and are as follows:
1. Identify, characterize and map the eroded land and coastal vegetation;
2. Identify rehabilitation techniques for dunes and mangroves to mitigate the effects of erosion;
3. Identify participative actions for erosion mitigation;
4. Develop strategic actions to sensitize and disseminate good practices in coastal communities.
The project aims to address the vulnerability of communities as a critical aspect in helping to relieve pressure on ecosystem resources. Livelihoods diversification is a key aspect of this project. The project will pilot 3 sites. Each has a specific set of problems and circumstances that render one of the three strategies (managed retreat, accommodation and protection) more or less suitable.
The project will tackle barriers in relation to weak inter-sectoral policy coordination and development, low institutional and individual capacity to plan for climate change as well as financial constraints.
The project has two Outcomes relating to the development of adaptive capacity to manage the effects of climate change on coastal resources. The project has four indicators and targets that measure adaptive capacity, in line with the GEF V Results Framework. The project will support the development of human, social, natural, physical and financial capitals to enable communities and government to continue the results delivered with this project grant.
What have we accomplished so far?
The project was launched in all the three project sites: Pebane (communities of Malaua, Quichanga e Macuacuane), Inharrime (community of Sihane) and Pemba (communities of Chuiba, Chibuabuare and Paquitequete) and the project team is already complete and all the necessary administrative arrangements are being done to ensure good and smooth implementation.
In June 2013 technical missions, composed with focal points from the Ministry for Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA), National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC), National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) and Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) have been conducted for the three provinces with the main objective of:
Introduce the focal points at the provincial, municipal and district levels;
Present the project activities that will be under the responsibility of all the Government partners;
Establish coordination mechanisms for the implementation phase between the institutions; Prepare the communities for the implementation phase;
 April 2013
 May 2013
Who Finances it?
|Donor name||Amount contributed per year|
|UNDP Regular (Track)||$ 200,000.00|
|Government (Cash)||$ 170,000.00|
Total allocated resources (Global Environment Facility - GEF)