Discover the Incredible Biodiversity of Mozambique
Ecotourism holidays in Mozambique lead travelers down paths to discover the incredible biodiversity of this fascinating country. Traveling with a conscience makes travel in Africa super interesting, meaningful, and multi-dimensional. Everyone loves a lazy beach holiday and keeping active in the ocean with watersports galore. But what about contributing to conservation and community endeavors too while whiling away the hours in relaxation mode? With Mozambique Travel you can discover the incredible biodiversity of Mozambique, contribute to vital conservation projects, and support local people at the same time! From isolated sky islands and forests to coastal marine reserves and national parks, Mozambique has it all for sustainable holidays.
Africa is still an important center of some of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes, and Mozambique is no exception. Here, diverse ecosystems and species form the foundation for successful economic and social development. Around 80% of the Mozambican population relies on natural resources and ecosystem services for their basic needs and financial security. This comes with enormous challenges.
Imagine one country boasting 162 unique ecosystems! These are home to over 4,000 species of fauna and 6,300 species of indigenous plants. But about 300 plant species and 450 animal species are already on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Imagine one country showcasing 904 bird species, 176 reptile species, 90 amphibian species (of which 28 are endemic), and 3,075 insect species! But about 87 of these ecosystems are already on the IUCN Red List.
In addition, Mozambique has identified and delineated 30 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), covering a total area of about 139,977.95 km2. Most of this region is terrestrial (87% or 134,050.06 km2), and the other 13% is crucial marine habitat covering 5,927.89 km2. The 2,770 km coastline features incredible sandy beaches, coastal dunes, estuaries, bays, terrestrial forests, mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.
There are many challenges to conserving all of these rich resources and the facts are daunting: 52% of the country’s wildlife species are at risk of extinction and 80% of the amphibian species plus 48% of reptiles are threatened.
But there is good news! The Mozambican government is currently integrating KBAs and the Red List of endangered species and ecosystems into its legal framework, the National Territorial Development Plan, and the Marine Spatial Plan. All future development projects will have to follow strict guidelines on Managing Biodiversity Risks. How amazing then that new species continue to be discovered in Mozambique such as bats, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, slugs, and macroalgae!
Mozambique Embraces Biodiversity-Based Value Chains For Sustainable Development
Mozambique is lucky to be selected as one of eight African countries to be part of a pilot project called BIODEV2030 that aims to help these nations incorporate biodiversity conservation into their economic sectors. Mozambique is one step ahead with its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2015 – 2035) and is part of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. BIODEV2030 aims to encourage participation from all sectors of society to help integrate biodiversity and its conservation into economic sectors based on scientific assessments.
BIODEV2030 is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and carried out by the IUCN in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, and Senegal. A recent science-based assessment of threats to biodiversity in Mozambique under BIODEV2030 has identified the sectors of agriculture, fisheries, mining, oil, and gas as important for biodiversity, both in terms of their contribution to biodiversity loss and their significance to the economic development of Mozambique.
The next step is to identify two vital value chains per sector, based on their impacts on the environment and biodiversity and their contribution to the sector’s production. In Mozambique, BIODEV2030 will therefore focus on the sugar cane, soya, shrimp, crab catch, heavy sands, and natural gas value chains. This is expected to encourage business practices that have a positive impact on biodiversity, which can be measured and reported.
The Challenges Facing Biodiversity in Mozambique
The challenges facing biodiversity in Mozambique are substantial and already there are enormous problems brewing. Overpopulation and poverty are causing ongoing overexploitation of biodiversity and habitat loss. Accelerated development projects, intensifying agriculture, pollution, the introduction of exotic species, and the effects of climate change have led to the degradation of the country’s unique ecosystems with enormous impacts on fauna and flora.
Biodiversity hotspots in Mozambique include the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa, the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany, and the Eastern Afromontane as well as the unique Zambezian Coastal Flooded Savannah. Its most important coastal habitats are the coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass meadows. Notable marine species include the dugong, 7 species of dolphin, humpback whales, 77 hermatypic species of coral, and 5 species of turtle, all of which contribute significantly to tourism.
Major threats to biodiversity are population increase, human development, and past political instability. These have all led to habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as significant changes in the number and distribution of large terrestrial mammals. During the Civil War period, terrestrial fauna suffered a massive decline but the government is trying to recover lost populations, especially within conservation areas.
The main threats to fauna and flora are:
- hunting
- uncontrolled fires
- destruction of habitats
- vegetation clearing
- slash-and-burn agriculture
- increased human settlement.
The main threats to mangrove forests are:
- deforestation
- aquaculture
- construction of salt pans.
Coral reefs and seagrasses are mainly under pressure from:
- coral bleaching
- increased activities in coral reefs (fishing, tourism, pollution, etc.)
- siltation due to floods
- revolving of seagrass to collect invertebrates
- trampling
- destructive fishing techniques.
The Causes of Biodiversity Loss in Mozambique
The challenges facing biodiversity in Mozambique are inextricably linked to the causes of biodiversity loss. Everything in nature has value for human survival but the problem is that humans are too many, too greedy, and too removed from the inherent spiritual value of Nature. Biodiversity can sustain the economic, social, political, and environmental foundations for all society but people need to learn how this works.
Indigenous people have always been innately tuned in to the values of ecosystems and species but poverty in Africa is driving people to overexploit the natural resource in their areas. In Mozambique, people can use trees for firewood, furniture, sculpture, and art. Water is essential for survival and soils need to remain fertile for food provision and agriculture. Wetlands promote water purification and flood protection and most ecosystems such as mangroves and the ocean are carbon strongholds.
In addition, wild plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria are souced for most of the important traditional and modern medicines within Mozambique. An estimated 80% of the population uses medicinal plants and traditional healers play an intricate role in health care. As we all know ecotourism is based on biodiversity enjoyment and use – think of island holidays, diving courses, hiking mountains, and adventure sports in various wild places. This generates revenue for conservation and community survival and removes the need for overexploitation of natural resources.
How sad then that ongoing population pressure continues to cause increased human-animal conflicts, especially crocodiles, lions, elephants, and hippos. Between 2006 and 2008, 265 people were killed, and 82 people were injured due to these conflicts. Moreover, damage to agriculture caused by hippos and elephants has been reported. These animals are not to blame!
Incredible Marine Biodiversity off the Coast of Mozambique
Divers, fishermen, and water sports enthusiasts should rush to Mozambique to experience something unforgettable and almost miraculous. The beautiful long coastline and a few archipelagos have always harbored incredible marine biodiversity. Some of the world’s top surfers, divers, and deep sea fishermen have discovered untouched worlds of coral reefs, deep channels, and wave-catching bays that compete favorably with other renowned Indian Ocean island destinations.
Declared a protected area in 1971, Bazaruto Archipelago National Park contains enormous inherent ecological value for people and wildlife. Recent dugong counts by air resulted in 119 adults and 16 calves and the park is home to 500 marine and coastal mollusk species, 2,000 fish species, and nine marine mammal species – plus healthy coral reefs! This prime hotspot is ideal for setting up ocean sanctuaries and developing enriching tourism experiences around them. On Benguerra Island, the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS) is curating a diverse range of experiences aimed at educating guests about marine ecosystems.
Divers can visit the BCSS during cyclical whale and shark migrations, increased dolphin activity, and the prevalence of whale sharks, dugongs, and black marlin. They can choose from 9 different courses in 13 different dive sites. The aim is to seek the “big five” animal groups usually encountered in these waters: cetaceans (whales and dolphins, elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, skates, and sawfish), reptiles (turtles, sea snakes, and kraits), sirenians (herbivorous mammals including dugongs) and bony fish (snappers, trevallies, and groupers).
The BCSS is protecting marine biodiversity
To the south of Mozambique, the Ponta do Ouro Marine Reserve features complex biodiversity and an untouched marine environment where an assortment of tropical fish and marine megafauna swim. Picture rare dugongs (sea cows), leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, loggerhead turtles, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, humpback dolphins, manta rays, and humpback whales.
Situated within the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area, this marine treasure is an integral part of the Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area, interweaving with South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next to the Maputo Special Reserve, this 678 square km marine protected expanse stretches from Ponta do Ouro to Maputo Bay and includes Inhaca and Portuguese Islands. It’s a crucial nesting ground for both leatherback and loggerhead turtles, carefully monitored by trained rangers as they venture ashore to lay their precious eggs.
Swim with the dolphins in this reserve!
The Mangrove Forests of Mozambique
Mangrove forests in Mozambique cover an astounding 396,080 ha in sheltered shorelines and river estuaries. There are nine mangrove species in Mozambique and the highest concentrations of mangroves occur in central Mozambique in the deltas and estuaries of large rivers. Ecologically, mangroves are nurseries for many fish species – about 18% of coral reef fish species rely on mangroves and seagrass meadows as nursery habitats. Mangroves combat erosion and improve water quality by holding onto sediments and slowing the runoff of freshwater into the ocean. The crowns of the trees are perfect nesting habitats for birds and even some bats.
So, not only is Mozambique rich in forests, grasslands, and wetlands, but its wealth of mangrove forests plays a vital role. Amazingly, Mozambique contains about 12% of the mangrove forests in Africa, covering more than 50% of some of the coastlines of Mozambique’s islands, with the most famous island being Inhaca. Sadly, mangroves are being lost at a rate of 1-2% annually.
Local people use mangrove trees for building and as firewood thus one of the main threats to mangroves is overexploitation for firewood – as well as clearing of mangroves for solar salt production. Solar salt production and aquaculture are growing rapidly in Mozambique, and shrimp farms are on the rise as the numbers of small prawn fisheries increase rapidly in response to feeding global shrimp demand.
Potential threats to mangroves are oil pollution, uncontrolled coastal migration, and industrial development along the coast. The rate of mangrove deforestation is estimated at 1,821 hectares per year, with the highest rates in Maputo and Beira. Conservation and management of mangroves in Mozambique fall under the Forests and Land Legislation Act, which envisages community participation in the protection of natural resources. Proposals are still underway for a national mangrove management plan.
The Sky Islands of Mozambique
This brings us to the wonderful sky islands of Mozambique, known as an “inland archipelago” of mountains stretching across southern Malawi and northern Mozambique. This chain of hard granite inselbergs lifted high above the surrounding landscape as it weathered down over millions of years. These “sky islands” are topped with high-altitude grasslands and evergreen forests and watered by cool moist winds from the Indian Ocean to the east.
What great news then that a group of scientists wants to create a new African ecoregion, an “inland archipelago” of 30 isolated mountains, some harboring animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth. The South East Africa Montane Archipelago straddles southern Malawi and northern Mozambique – an incredible string of isolated mountains where unique species have evolved in safety. How sad that these forests are now severely threatened by charcoal production and agriculture! It’s hoped the designation of a new ecoregion encompassing these mountains will promote nature conservation on a landscape-wide scale.
Researcher Julian Bayliss spent 20 years documenting the rich diversity of plants and animals in this region. He and 25 colleagues are now proposing that 30 or so mountains in this transboundary biological treasure be declared a brand new ecoregion: the South East Africa Mountain Archipelago (SEAMA) to support landscape-wide conservation initiatives.
The sky islands of Mozambique have to be seen to be believed!
Come and Discover Mozambique’s Diversity with Mozambique Travel
Mozambique just happens to be one of the most stable countries on this vast continent, one of the most scenic, and one of the most diverse countries you can ever explore on this side of the equator. The cherry on the top is that flight times and schedules to Mozambique have increased and flight prices have decreased – what a winner for your dream holiday in Africa. Come and discover Mozambique’s diversity with Mozambique Travel.
Join the age of responsible travel – the age of ecotourism, environmental conservation, waste reduction, energy, and water saving. Be that ethical traveler seeking eco-lodges in Mozambique who are making a personal effort to reduce carbon footprints, conserve natural resources, and support local communities!
We look forward to hosting you in Mozambique.
