Restoring biodiversity in the Miombo forests

AgricultureBiodiversity
Project type
Dissemination project
Project coordinator
Climate Lab
Project partners
Associação ESMABAMA, Azada Verde, ReSeed
Start date
January 1, 2022
Total budget
€ 189.865
Amount of subsidy
€ 154.288
AgricultureBiodiversity
Project type
Dissemination project
Project coordinator
Climate Lab
Project partners
Associação ESMABAMA, Azada Verde, ReSeed
Start date
January 1, 2022
Total budget
€ 189.865
Amount of subsidy
€ 154.288

Restoring 300 hectares of Miombo forest

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The Miombo forests are South-Central Africa’s most extensive tropical dry forest ecosystem. These forests cover an area of ​​2.7 million km2 and have worldwide a significant biodiversity. Mozambique’s Chibabava district falls within the Miombo forests. Here, increased average temperatures, heavy rainfalls and extreme weather events, such as cyclones and droughts, have undermined the local population’s agricultural production and led to chronic food insecurity. Many households have been forced into exploiting the Miombo forests for timber, non-timber forest products and charcoal production to sell in urban markets, which is threatening the biodiversity.

SOLUTIONS

A socio-economic and agroecosystem knowledge survey will be conducted with communities to develop an in-depth understanding of their livelihood circumstances. The aim is to gain insights into how climate change and changing economic pressures are impacting people, at both household and community level.

Working together with local community participants, suitable restoration areas will be identified to exclude from timber/fuelwood extraction and charcoal production. The recovery of these areas will be accelerated by planting native tree species. The carbon sequestration will be certified through the Plan Vivo, which will provide funds for reinvestment in social and environmental solutions over the next 20 years.

EXPECTED RESULTS

300 hectares of Miombo forests will be restored by integrating agroforestry plots. Two plant nurseries will be established. One for enrichment planting with key indigenous species to boost regeneration. The other to supply agroforestry cultivation plots. These nurseries will each raise ca. 3,000 plants per year. Two demonstration agroforestry plots will be established, with low-cost irrigation systems, sustainable cultivation techniques and plantings of timber, fruit and nut trees.

Contribution to the sustainable development goals