Project area
Project area
The Blue Future project area includes the whole stretch of coastline between the mouth of the River Lúrio (northern limit of the Nampula Province) and the southern limit of Mossuril District. This is a very important area for biodiversity especially for coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves, and has been flagged over time by different initiatives as a very important area for conservation. For example, several years ago a proposal was developed for the creation of a Special Reserve in Mossuril, which ended up not materializing.
The results of the project developed by InOM and WCS to develop scenarios for the expansion of the MPA network show that this is one of the priority areas of the Mozambican coast, something that is corroborated by the identification of the Matibane KBA (also a Forest Reserve). The Baixo Pinda area is also a Forest Reserve, with potential for being triggered as a KBA, both in the terrestrial and marine realms.
The project area has been subject to overfishing by many local and migrating fishers, which thus increases the fishing pressure in other MPAs of the Northern region of the country, such as Quirimbas National Park (north of the study area) and Primeiras and Segundas Islands Environmental Protected Area (south of the study area).
There are a strong socio-economic problems in this region, that lead to the unsustainable use of the ecosystem, namely the high poverty rate and the lack of job opportunities for local communities, especially young people and women. Therefore, local populations show a general dissatisfaction in the absence of future perspectives
District of Memba
Memba District stretches for approximately 4,622 square kilometres along the southern edge of the Northern Mozambique Channel (NMC), covering around 100 kilometres of coastline from the mouth of the Lúrio River to the southern tip of the Baixo Pinda peninsula. With a population of 328,460, the main ethnic group is Makua and the main language is Emakua. The district’s subsistence activities are predominantly fishing (40 per cent) and agriculture (60 per cent). The area is characterised by a diverse landscape, coastal forests, mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass. Key species of marine mammals and several sea turtles inhabit this area. Memba faces challenges such as deforestation and soil erosion, which emphasises the need for sustainable management practices.
District of Mossuril
The Mossuril District, situated in the eastern region of Nampula Province, covers 3,441 km². It shares similarities with Memba District in geomorphology and biogeography. Bordered by various districts, Mossuril has three administrative posts: Matibane, Mossuril, and Lunga. With a population of 174,641, the predominant ethnic group and language are Makua and Emakua, respectively. Approximately 40% of residents rely on fishing, while 60% are engaged in agriculture, small businesses, and other activities. The district features varied soils, from coastal dunes to alluvial soils along rivers. Although soil erosion is considered low, the district faces challenges like erosion and salinity, affecting groundwater quality. The region boasts biodiversity hotspots, including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and Matibane Forest Reserve. Threats like deforestation, illegal logging, and overexploitation of mangroves endanger these ecosystems. Despite conservation efforts, challenges remain, including potential conflicts with industrial fishing and developmental priorities.
District of Nacala-Porto
Nacala – Porto is a port city and the second largest urban center in Nampula Province, after the capital Nampula. The district is geographically bounded by Nacala Bay to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, Mossuril District to the south and Nacala-a-Velha District to the west. The district has around 225,034 inhabitants, 75% of whom live in urban areas. It has two administrative posts, Mutiva and Muanona, with a diversified urban center with 41 neighborhoods and an area of 324 km².
Its port is in Bengo Bay, which is so deep that it can handle ships 24 hours a day, making it one of the most important on the east coast of Africa. This port is served by a railway line, which connects the coast of Mozambique to Malawi, passing through Nampula and Niassa, and is the entry point to the so-called Nacala Corridor.
District of Nacala-a-Velha
The district of Nacala-a-Velha, located on the coast of the province, 2010 km from the capital Nampula, is bordered to the south by the district of Mossuri, to the east by the Indian Ocean, to the north by the district of Memba and to the west by the districts of Erati and Monapo. It is divided into two administrative posts (Nacala-a-Velha and Covo) subdivided into seven localities (Namalala, Mangani, Micolene, Nacala-a-Velha, Covo-Sede, Vida Nova and Nacololo). It covers an area of 1,169 km² and has a total of 93,553 inhabitants, with a young population of 45% under the age of 15. The dominant ethnolinguistic group in the district is “Emakua”.
The district is characterized by a wide distribution of terrestrial habitats (inland miombo interspersed with dense forests and grasslands), coastal transition zones (mangroves, estuaries and sandy beaches) as well as marine ecosystems (coral reefs, seagrass and macroalgae mats, and pelagic environments).
District of Ilha de Moçambique
The District of Ilha de Moçambique covers 445km². Administratively, Ilha de Moçambique is divided into two parts: the island, which is called the insular part, made up of eight neighborhoods, and the continental area, made up of 22 neighborhoods, where most of the population lives. It has a population of 78,742 inhabitants, is about 3 km long and 300-400 m wide and is oriented in a northeast-southwest direction at the entrance to Mossuril Bay. The eastern coast of the island is home to the islands of Goa and Sena (also known as Ilha das Cobras) and the Bay of Mozambique. These islands, as well as the nearby coast, are of coral origin.
The main economic activities practiced by the local community are commerce, agriculture, fishing (fish and shellfish), tourism and salt production. Since the main economic activities are associated with the use and exploitation of the natural resources (sea, mangroves, soil and tourism opportunities) available in the region, the pressure on their use is increasing.
Baixo Pinda Forest Reserve
The Baixo Pinda Forest Reserve (BPFR) is located in the Nampula Province, about 40 km North of Nacala. It has a zsize of 19.600 ha and occupies a peninsula, which juts into the Indian Ocean and is mostly surrounded by sea. The topography is flat with a gentle slope towards the sea on all sides, and the soil consists of deep sands. The BPFR was established in 1943 with the aim of ensuring sustainable harvest of Androstachys johnsonii (Mecrusse), which dominates the main vegetation type, the dry coastal forest.
Human pressure has significantly reduced the size of the reserve, giving way to mango, coconut, cashew trees and agricultural lands. The original woody flora is reduced to scattered large trees, isolated narrow strips or clusters of natural vegetation between fields and regenerating shrub vegetation. This site is also home for the species Micklethwaitia carvalhoi, endemic to northern Mozambique.
Matibane Forest Reserve
The Matibane Forest Reserve (MFR) is located in Mossuril District, situated in North-eastern Mozambique, in Nampula Province. The MFR was established in 1957 with the aim of ensuring sustainable harvest of Androstachys johnsonii (Mecrusse). Mecrusse is a very hard wood, was found to be a suitable commercial species in construction, particularly for railway, houses and fencing. The main vegetation type in the MFR is dry coastal forest. The core zone of the reserve, comprising about 2,000 to 2,500 hectares, remains in good condition. However, the surrounding buffer zone shows signs of human disturbance including charcoal production, logging, and subsistence agriculture.
MFR holds a significant population of Icuria dunensis, which is the KBA trigger species in this site. This is a range restricted species and endangered of extinction according to the Red List of the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN), only found in dune forests along the coast in northern Mozambique. This site is also home for another threatened plants species, the Micklethwaitia carvalhoi (Vulnerable – VU), also endemic to northern Mozambique, which has lost much of its habitat due to deforestation for subsistence agriculture. While the coastal forest has been severely fragmented, the MFR remains the largest patch hosting a viable global population size of the endemic Icuria dunensis.
