Mozambique mangroves —from policy to community action

Written By: Isabel Ramos, IUCN Mozambique 

Mozambique’s government has prioritized its mangrove and coastal areas in policy through its National Mangrove Strategy.  The strategy has already resulted in the more effective management—and additional mobilization—of resources that support the protection and restoration of mangrove communities.

The whole approach is based on linking government policy to robust scientific data and statistics—on factors like population dynamics, climate events and impacts. Stakeholder groups and government officials have been able to identify and discuss the challenges and opportunities of mangrove conservation in an integrated manner.

The Save Our Mangroves Now initiative and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have provided support. Legislative action so far has included influencing the National Marine Spatial Plan to refer to mangrove areas as protected zones.