The Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), launched on Monday, October 6, in the city of Maputo, the process of reviewing the Environmental Policy and Law. The initiative aims to adapt these instruments to the current development context, which requires more effective responses to challenges arising from socio-economic, political, and institutional transformations, as well as the local impacts of climate change.
The National Environmental Policy, approved by Resolution No. 5/95 of August 3, and the Environmental Law, No. 20/97 of October 1, establish the legal framework and guidelines for the sustainable use of the environment and its resources. Over nearly three decades, both instruments have guided the management of the country’s main environmental issues.
During the launch ceremony, Prime Minister Benvinda Levi highlighted the importance of these instruments but acknowledged that significant challenges remain. “Challenges persist due to informal and unplanned human settlements, as well as pressure on forest, fisheries, marine, and mineral resources,” she stated. The Prime Minister explained that part of these difficulties is related to poverty affecting a large portion of the Mozambican population. “A significant segment of the population continues to live in poverty, leading them to exploit natural resources unsustainably to ensure daily survival, thereby contributing to the acceleration of environmental degradation,” she emphasized.
Benvinda Levi added that Mozambique increasingly faces the effects of extreme weather events. “Our country suffers from the impacts of cyclones, floods, urban inundations, droughts, and erosion, which have become more frequent and intense, negatively affecting the socio-economic development process as well as ecosystems and biodiversity,” she noted.
Review Focused on Climate Action and Community Participation
According to the Prime Minister, the review of the Environmental Policy and Law aims to ensure comprehensive protection of human and environmental rights, promoting the well-being of citizens and communities inclusively and equitably. This review also seeks to place climate action at the center of public environmental policies, strengthening climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation of the negative effects of extreme events, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Another goal of the review is to promote better land use planning, environmental sanitation, the creation of new population settlements, and the transition to green and blue economies. It also aims to encourage the participation of local communities in planning and decision-making regarding the sustainable and transparent use of natural resources.
“We believe that, in this way, we can achieve the goal we all aspire to: attaining socio-economic development that is in harmony with the preservation, protection, and restoration of ecosystems and biological diversity,” emphasized Benvinda Levi.
Meanwhile, World Bank representative Paulo Sitoe considered that this review represents a strategic opportunity to place climate resilience, environmental justice, and institutional effectiveness at the center of decisions on land use planning, public and private investments, and sustainable management of natural resources.
“The launch represents a firm step towards consolidating a more robust, inclusive legal framework aligned with the current and emerging challenges of sustainable development,” stated Paulo Sitoe. He also reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting the Government in this process, providing technical knowledge, international experience, and the necessary cooperation tools.
According to Paulo Sitoe, this support aims to contribute to building a modern, efficient environmental management system capable of addressing national and global challenges in the 21st century.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries
