The Miombo Forest Conservation Action Plan and the Disaster Risk Management Master Plan are Mozambique’s priorities to be presented during its participation in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-28), which will take place from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“We are taking a series of projects with us to COP28 and, with regard to mitigation, we are going to present our energy transition strategy,” explained the Minister of Land and Environment, Ivete Maibaze, after the preparatory meeting for COP28.
According to the minister, the country is operationalising the Disaster Risk Management Master Plan, valued at around 600 million dollars, which will be presented at the conference and is a way of helping to mitigate the impact of climate change.
“Mozambique will have a pavilion at this conference for the first time, where it intends to showcase its potential, investment opportunities, ongoing actions and initiatives in the field of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The country is bringing six areas of interest to the event, particularly adaptation to climate change, climate change financing, renewable energies/energy transition and the carbon market,” he explained.
With regard to the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Miombo and Greater Zambezi Forests, the minister said that the government would be looking for strategies to raise funding to implement the project.
In Mozambique, the miombo represents around two thirds of the forest area that stretches from the north of Gaza province to the Rovuma River. In socio-economic terms, it directly or indirectly benefits around 300 million people at SADC level, through the exploitation of mineral, forestry, agricultural, fishing, energy and tourism resources, among others.
In August 2022, southern African leaders signed the Maputo Declaration for the protection and conservation of miombo woodland ecosystems in the region, an instrument that promotes “joint and integrated actions for the recovery and management” of the resources.
