The Government defended on Tuesday, June 2, in Maputo, the strengthening of climate resilience and the mobilization of international financing for adaptation, at a time when the country is facing increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including cyclones, droughts, floods, and coastal erosion.
According to the Mozambique News Agency, the position was presented by the National Director for Environment and Climate Change at the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Sónia Muando. She was speaking on behalf of the celebrations of World Environment Day, marked on June 5.
According to the official, Mozambique is currently updating its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the instrument that defines the country’s climate commitments, with the aim of integrating adaptation, resilience, and sustainable development into key strategic sectors.
Sónia Muando explained that the country’s high exposure to extreme weather events forces the Government to incorporate resilience criteria into all national planning. “Adaptation must be present in all development planning. Our agriculture must be resilient, fisheries must be resilient, and public investments must consider climate risks,” she emphasized.
“Our vision is to bring the adaptation component into agriculture, energy, transport, mineral resources, and other strategic sectors. We can no longer separate economic development from the reality of climate change”
Sónia Muando
Among ongoing initiatives, she highlighted the construction of resilient infrastructure such as water supply systems, schools, health units, and bridges, as well as the implementation of 142 Local Climate Adaptation Plans designed to guide communities and districts in responding to climate impacts.
She also revealed that the country is preparing projects to access the Loss and Damage Fund, an international mechanism created to support countries affected by extreme climate events. “Mozambique is now designing projects to benefit from this fund and implement concrete resilience actions,” she said.
Sónia Muando further considered that the outcomes of COP30 represent an encouraging signal for the most vulnerable countries, highlighting the international commitment to increase climate financing by 2035 through the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, an initiative expected to mobilize around 1.3 trillion US dollars annually for developing countries.
“Our vision is to bring the adaptation component into agriculture, energy, transport, mineral resources, and other strategic sectors. We can no longer separate economic development from the reality of climate change,” she said.
“Although the concrete mechanisms are still being defined, vulnerable countries like Mozambique are among the main potential beneficiaries of this international effort,” she said.
She also called for more active participation by African countries in global climate negotiations. “We cannot be just spectators at conferences. We must present positions, defend national interests, and contribute to common African positions,” she stated.
Despite having a minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Mozambique remains among the countries most affected by climate change impacts. Therefore, Sónia Muando called for stronger international support in financing, technology, and institutional capacity building. “We need financing, technology, and capacity building to increase community resilience and protect the country’s development,” she concluded.
