Peace Parks Foundation has been supporting the development and management of the exquisite region in southern Mozambique where Maputo National Park lies for over a decade. The park is home to fresh lakes, swamp forests, and grassland plains, as well as coastal dunes, mangrove forests, and pristine beaches. Beyond the shoreline, the park protects healthy seagrass beds and a kaleidoscope of coral reefs. These habitats are critical, as they not only shape biodiversity but also the livelihoods of local communities.
However, with major climate and ocean shifts, it is vital that this precious environment be managed to adapt to environmental change. To strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather events, Mozambique’s National Association for Conservation Areas, with support from Peace Parks and partners through the Blue Action Fund, one of the world’s largest public funders promoting sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities, is protecting valuable mangrove forests.
Mangrove forests offer a bioshield against storm surges and protect against coastal erosion. They shelter diverse aquatic species and important fish stocks, as well as provide fuelwood and medicinal resources for local communities. Mangroves contribute greatly to the general ecological balance of the South Western Indian Ocean and the Mozambican Channel and are also able to sequester and store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.
“We were decimated at the end of 2019 by a hail storm,” says Vanessa Muianga, Marine Manager at Maputo National Park, “and that affected the mangrove trees in this area.” Working with the local community and Eden Reforestation since April, Vanessa and her team aim to reforest 100 hectares of mangroves by the end of the year. “I am sincerely delighted with the work being done here,” says Felismina Fiquissone Mapanga, a local planter in the programme and not just because it helps her provide for her family but “because it allows me to be a part of creating a prosperous area,” she concludes.
Visit parquemaputo.gov.mz to find out more about Maputo National Park, and be inspired by the positive impact of the Blue Action Fund by visiting peaceparks.org.
