Chimanimani, Mozambique

Why We Are Partnering to Restore Chimanimani

The Chimanimani region has lost around 41,200 hectares of tree cover since 2000 due to factors such as expanding agriculture, uncontrolled fires, unsustainable timber harvesting and charcoal production, and increasing population pressures on forest resources. These primary drivers of deforestation and degradation not only threaten local biodiversity and ecological balance but also contribute to global climate change.

This project takes a holistic landscape restoration approach to restore and conserve the essential ecosystem services generated by the Chimanimani Mountains and the surrounding 170,000-hectare buffer zone. These areas are a crucial reservoir of biodiversity, containing at least 78 endemic plant species and three-quarters of Mozambique’s Afromontane Forest cover. The mountains are also the source of the Buzi River, which provides water to thousands of people in central Mozambique and creates the estuaries that are home to Sofala Province’s mangrove forests along the coast.

How We’re Working Here

Eden’s landscape restoration projects are holistic initiatives designed to address contextual ecological and socioeconomic needs within each landscape. In Chimanimani, Eden takes a holistic landscape restoration approach to restore and protect forests in the Buffer Zone of Chimanimani National Park. Practically, this includes:

• Co-developing land-use plans with communities living in the Buffer Zone. Through this process, Eden works with communities to incorporate restoration and livelihood goals into land use plans, ensuring that the buffer zone can support people, forests, and wildlife for generations to come.
• Implementing reforestation, natural regeneration, and agroforestry to increase forest connectivity.
• Addressing drivers of deforestation and degradation through fire mitigation efforts, regenerative agroforestry, and other activities to promote soil health, while minimizing reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture.
  
• Designing livelihood initiatives that diversify the income of rural households and increase climate resilience through improved market access, leading to new supply chains for non-timber forest products and agroforestry products.
  
• Mitigating growth of Lantana camara, Vernonanthura polyathes, and other invasive species that outcompete indigenous vegetation and impair the ability of forests to regenerate naturally.

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Anticipated Impact

Eden’s landscape restoration work in Chimanimani is vital for mitigating the effects of deforestation, supporting biodiversity, facilitating sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities, and restoring critical landscapes. Over the next 15 years, Eden’s anticipated impact will create substantial benefits for the environment and communities, including:

• Development and execution of a detailed landscape and forest restoration plan for critical areas within the buffer zone.
• Formulation and implementation of eight community-driven land use strategies.
• Growth of millions of indigenous trees, strengthening climate resilience and enhancing ecosystem services.
• Capture of an estimated 31.57 million tons of CO2e through forest conservation, ecosystem restoration, and agroforestry systems.
• Enhancement of forest connectivity to support wildlife and water resources.
• Protection of existing forests, safeguarding habitats for forest-dwelling savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) and endemic species.
• Expansion of economic opportunities for communities in the Buffer Zone through direct employment, sustainable agriculture, agroforestry, and future collaborative ventures.