Danida has been supporting an Integrated Coastal Zone Management component in Mozambique since 1997 and a third phase of the support began in 2006. The new component forms part of the Environment Programme Support (EPS) 2006-10, and it includes capacity development at national level and at provinces and lower levels for planning and managing sustainable development of coastal areas. Furthermore, in selected hotspots there will be an implementation of replicable demonstrations of how conflicts may be resolved and the resource-use optimized in a sustainable manner that benefit poor communities.

Another component in the EPS focuses on the issues of communities living in conservation areas and their buffer zones. This component support development of the capacity of the Sofala provincial and district authorities and to facilitate integrated territorial and district development planning as well as resolution of “conservation-people” conflicts. The component also funds community projects in support of sustainable management of natural resources. The component began addressing specific issues related to the Gorongosa National Park in Sofala Province, which has the potential of becoming a major tourism attraction if the conservation-people issues can be properly resolved. “Conservation-people” issues are critical in many other parts of Mozambique, and it is expected that the “demonstrations” in Gorongosa and Sofala will feed into the formulation of national policies on these issues and influence the management of other conservation areas.

From October 16th – November 4th Nordeco will be participating in a technical review of the Coastal Development Component and the Natural Resource Management Component with the objective to provide a general assessment of the progress of the two components.