Resilient Mozambique

Abstract:
According to the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index, Mozambique was the country most affected by climate change, in Africa. The impact of climate change is expected to increase over the next decades. The Island of Mozambique, listed as a World Heritage property by UNESCO since 1991, faces a series of challenges related to its preservation and vulnerability to extreme weather events, especially cyclones.
The passage of Cyclone Gombe, in March 2022, highlighted the urgent need to develop resilience strategies to protect local communities and architectural heritage from the impacts of these natural disasters. The Island, with its history and culture, has a material and immaterial legacy that needs to be protected and managed in a sustainable way, in the face of growing climate threats. This project was key to ensure that the Island of Mozambique could become an example of good practices in conservation and prevention, when facing the challenges brought by climate change. Through the creation of resilient management instruments and the strength of local capacities, the project contributed to reinforce the protection of the Island of Mozambique and its people, in the face of natural disasters.

Outputs: Four outputs were delivered: 1) Capacity-building courses in: World Heritage, Diagnosis and Conservation, Management Tools, and Resilient Habitat; 2) Island Post-cyclone state of conservation status through conservation survey of 100 buildings; 3) Development of a multi-sectoral management tool to respond to disasters through a mapping of the island using GIS-Geographic Information Systems and collaborative mapping of risk factors associated with climate phenomena; 4) Booklet with recommendations for a more resilient habitat when facing cyclones. This integrated approach allowed to have an update of the current state of heritage, a map of the most vulnerable areas, a comprehensive management tool, and proposed technical strategies for habitat enhancement.