On 1 December, the Government enhanced its environmental management capacity through the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Secretary of State for Land and Environment, Gustavo Dgedge, and the International Director of the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), Dennis Van Peppen, the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries reported in a press release.
According to the statement, the act was witnessed by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Mito Albino, and the Dutch Deputy Minister for Cooperation, Pascalle Grotenhuis, following a meeting aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the agriculture, environment and fisheries sectors.
Roberto Mito Albino stated that the country faces complex environmental challenges, such as flooding and pollution associated with mining activity, but emphasized that the partnership creates conditions for structured improvements. He indicated that the memorandum will allow for staff training, improved environmental impact studies, strengthened strategic assessments, and the formulation of evidence-based mitigation and resilience plans.
The minister added that the agreement will “consolidate the technical capacity of central and provincial teams and pave the way for a critical advance: the creation of regional environmental laboratories.” Currently, the country still relies on sending samples abroad, which limits the production of technical data needed to support decision-making.
Cooperation with the NCEA also includes support for conducting studies deemed essential and the joint mobilization of resources to ensure implementation of the planned actions.
For her part, Deputy Minister Pascalle Grotenhuis highlighted that the memorandum is signed in a year marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Mozambique and the Netherlands. She stressed that the commitment now formalized “is based on a vision of sustainable, transparent and responsible economic and industrial growth, noting that responsible practices are indispensable for the country’s future.”
Three strategic priorities for the partnership were also defined: increasing food production, exploring export opportunities, and mobilizing European private investment, with a focus on the agricultural sector.
Roberto Mito Albino also highlighted progress in preparing the National Seed Chain Development Programme, marking a new phase in agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
