Mozambique Launches forest restoration project to restore Miombo woodlands

The Mozambican government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched a forest landscape restoration project in Nampula Province.

This initiative, funded by Swiss Development Cooperation, aims to restore 500 hectares of land in the Ribáuè District over the next four years. The project combines environmental recovery with economic goals by focusing on both woodland restoration and agroforestry systems.

The restoration efforts will target 400 hectares of Miombo woodland, an ecosystem that provides carbon storage and supports a large portion of Africa’s remaining elephant population. The remaining 100 hectares will be used for agroforestry, which mixes crops with trees. This project contributes to a national goal to restore 52,000 hectares of land across Mozambique as part of a broader five-year program.

To ensure the long-term survival of the restored areas, the project will establish three plant nurseries and develop beekeeping and sustainable value chains for bamboo, cashew, and timber. These activities provide local residents with alternative income sources so they do not have to rely on wood and charcoal for fuel. The project is part of the FLR Hub, a coordinated effort involving seven countries to move from small, isolated projects toward large-scale, investment-ready restoration models.