Mozambique is leading an international effort to protect the Miombo Forest, the largest dry tropical forest ecosystem in the world, which covers 11 African countries and supports more than 300 million people. The action plan, promoted by the government, focuses on monitoring and developing sustainable projects that offer alternatives to logging, one of the main causes of deforestation in the region.
The Minister for Land and the Environment, Ivete Maibaze, said that the plan also provides for the restoration of degraded areas and the protection of the Greater Zambezi basin. ‘Mapping and restoring the affected areas are priorities, as is the conservation of natural resources,’ she explained during an event on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The initiative, which involves heads of state and government from countries such as Botswana and Malawi, also aims to mobilise new investments to finance forest protection, with a significant funding gap estimated for the full implementation of the proposed measures. Since 2022, financial commitments have already been secured from some international partners.
The Miombo Forest has been under increasing threat from illegal logging and unsustainable agriculture. The initiative led by Mozambique is a coordinated effort between African countries to halt deforestation and ensure the conservation of this crucial ecosystem for the continent.
In addition to enforcement, the action plan proposes the development of alternative economic activities for local communities, with the aim of reducing dependence on the illegal exploitation of natural resources. Forest protection and sustainable development are seen as essential to guaranteeing the livelihoods of local populations and preserving the region’s biodiversity.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, patron of the initiative, said that the defence of the Miombo Forest ‘has already been put on the map’, highlighting the growing international recognition of the importance of its preservation.
