Maputo, July 30, 2025 (Lusa) - The United Nations Food Security Group on Wednesday warned of the “enormous challenges” facing Mozambique in the face of climate change, highlighting community management of natural resources as a “mantra” for sustainable development in the country.
"In Mozambique, where almost 70% of the population lives in rural areas and about 80% depends directly on natural resources for food, health and livelihoods, the adverse effects of climate change represent an enormous challenge," said Ricardo Torres, representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), at the Sixth Conference on Community Management of Natural Resources in Maputo.
According to the representative, community management of natural resources, tested over the last 30 years in countries such as Mozambique, has become ‘a mantra for sustainable development’.
“In the face of climate change, this approach is proving increasingly important, both in mitigating its impact on natural resources and in strengthening the resilience of communities, particularly in the context of food security and sustainable development,” he explained.
On the occasion, Daniel Maula, president of the Community Natural Resource Management Network (Rgco), said that around 17,000 households are already involved in this type of management in the country, divided into 72 grassroots committees, in an area estimated at 200,000 hectares.
“This collective effort (...) [is] a sign that the approach works and that resolutions can only be possible if the intention to bring change to the table is genuine,” said Maula, who is responsible for the network that promotes the implementation of community natural resource management initiatives, prioritising the participation and inclusion of local communities in Mozambique.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by global climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, but also prolonged periods of severe drought.
Between December and March alone, the country was hit by three cyclones, which, in addition to destroying thousands of homes and infrastructure, caused around 175 deaths in the north and centre of the country.
Extreme weather events caused at least 1,016 deaths in Mozambique between 2019 and 2023, affecting around 4.9 million people, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.
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