Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Climate Resilience in Mocimboa da Praia District, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique: Challenges, Opportunities, and Learned Lessons.

Abstract

Mocímboa da Praia District in northern Mozambique is a fragile coastal socio-ecological system where mangroves, coastal forests, and fisheries underpin biodiversity and livelihoods but are increasingly threatened by climate variability, resource overexploitation, and socio-political instability. This study examines the interlink ages between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem integrity, climate resilience, and livelihoods using evidence from a three-year participatory intervention. A mixed-methods approach involving household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and project documentation shows that multi-stakeholder governance significantly strengthens ecosystem stewardship, improves compliance with environmental practices, and enhances coordination in natural resource management. The findings indicate increased community participation in conservation, emerging private sector engagement, and livelihood diversification, which collectively reduce pressure on ecosystems and enhance household adaptive capacity. Despite these gains, persistent constraints remain. Climate shocks such as flooding and coastal erosion continue to undermine ecosystem recovery, while weak institutional capacity and insecure land and resource tenure limit the sustainability of conservation outcomes. Absentee landownership further complicates enforcement and long-term stewardship of coastal resources. Biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in Mocímboa da Praia are socio-ecological outcomes shaped by interactions among ecosystems, governance institutions, and community agency. Conservation is most effective when embedded in inclusive governance and livelihood-centred approaches rather than sector-specific interventions. The study recommends institutionalizing co-management governance structures, scaling ecosystem-based adaptation with emphasis on mangrove restoration, strengthening institutional capacity, improving land and resource governance, enhancing private sector environmental accountability, and securing sustainable financing and knowledge-sharing mechanisms.

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