The Mozambican government, through the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), will make $15 million available to finance the project 'Transforming Wildlife Conservation and Livelihoods at Landscape Scale in Mozambique' (TRANSFORM), an initiative designed to strengthen biodiversity management and improve the livelihoods of communities living within conservation areas, according to the Mozambique Information Agency.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, 2 September, in Maputo by ANAC Director-General Pejul Calenga, during the project's launch workshop. The initiative will concentrate its interventions on the priority landscapes of Quirimbas, Marromeu, and Gorongosa.
According to Pejul Calenga, the funding is intended to introduce changes in the way biodiversity is managed across these areas, reconciling conservation objectives with the needs of local communities.
'This funding aims to transform biodiversity management in the Quirimbas, Marromeu and Gorongosa landscapes,' said the ANAC Director-General.
Beyond biodiversity protection, TRANSFORM envisages the creation of economic opportunities for populations living within the project's coverage areas, through the promotion of sustainable livelihoods and the development of the wildlife economy value chain.
Pejul Calenga argued that conservation must generate concrete benefits for communities in order to reduce pressure on natural resources.
'We want these conservation areas to be vehicles for promoting livelihoods, focusing on the wildlife economy value chain, where communities will play a highly important role,' he said.
The initiative thus seeks to align conservation interests with the economic needs of local populations, creating alternatives that reduce direct dependence on the resources found within protected areas.
The reduction of human-wildlife conflict is another objective associated with TRANSFORM. According to Pejul Calenga, the creation of alternative income sources could help diminish the pressure communities place on natural resources.
The ANAC Director-General pointed in particular to critical zones in the provinces of Sofala and Niassa, where conflicts between communities and wildlife represent one of the key challenges in managing conservation areas.
'If we can give families the opportunity to have some additional means of support, we can reduce their dependence on natural resources and, through that, decrease conflicts,' he explained.
In addition to the economic component, the project is expected to invest in land-use planning as a tool to improve coexistence between populations, wildlife, and conservation spaces.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Mozambique, Cleophas Torori, stated that TRANSFORM represents one of the largest investments by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in the country.
According to Torori, the total project financing is estimated at $15.4 million, and the initiative is expected to run for seven years.
The UNDP representative explained that the project is structured around four interconnected areas of intervention: biodiversity conservation, combating illegal wildlife trafficking, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and changing attitudes towards biodiversity.
'We want to go beyond good results and achieve a deep and sustainable impact for the people of Mozambique,' said Cleophas Torori.
Over the seven-year implementation period, TRANSFORM is expected to contribute to improved management of more than three million hectares of priority landscapes, as well as to the restoration of ecological corridors and the strengthening of communities' capacity to cope with the effects of climate change.
For the UNDP representative, community participation will be decisive in ensuring the sustainability of conservation actions, particularly once the benefits of natural resource protection become tangible to local populations.
'Community participation grows stronger when people see tangible results and benefits from conservation,' Torori concluded.
Through the implementation of TRANSFORM, the government aims to reinforce biodiversity conservation while simultaneously creating conditions for populations residing within the targeted landscapes to benefit from the economic opportunities associated with wildlife and natural resources.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=536551
