BIOPAISAGEM Project - Chimanimani National Park Conservation Area

With 6,000 species of plants and 1,196 species of terrestrial vertebrates, Mozambique boasts a high level of biological diversity, despite having suffered several decades of civil war. The Chimanimani Conservation Area (ACC), made up of the Chimanimani National Park (PNC) and its buffer zone, suffers from gold mining, illegal land clearing, mainly for agricultural purposes, and illegal logging.

To reduce these pressures and ensure sustainable management of natural resources, a process of involving local communities in biodiversity management has been underway for several years.

The project aims to support biodiversity inventories, as well as actions to promote natural and cultural heritage to the widest possible audience. The project supports the reduction of deforestation by strengthening local involvement in natural resource management and securing community land rights in buffer zone villages, particularly for women, by issuing land certificates.

The MICAIA Foundation also supports honey producers in the production and marketing of their product. 
Lastly, a mechanism for prioritizing the compensation of impacts on biodiversity and a study on Payment for Biodiversity Services (PBS) are being developed.
Ecosystems (PES) of the water resource are developed in order to evaluate potential sources of sustainable funding for the CNP.
 

The main aim of the project is to achieve a balance between improving the socio-economic conditions of local populations and conserving biodiversity, by:

• Biodiversity inventories, particularly of elephants, and cultural heritage, as well as promotion initiatives to raise awareness of the park's riches.
• Territorial planning to strengthen local participation in the sustainable management of natural resources, and to guarantee the right of communities, particularly women, to use and enjoy land by issuing land use permits.
• Strengthening honey production and marketing capacities, and developing other biodiversity products.
• Setting up a pilot site to compensate for biodiversity losses and carrying out a study on payment for eco-system services from water resources.