Supporting Mozambique to advance their NAP Process

Mozambique is located on the southern eastern coast of Africa, north-east of South Africa. It is particularly vulnerable to climate change due its location in the zone of inter-tropical convergence, a zone near the equator where northern and southern air masses converge, typically producing low atmospheric pressure. Other inherent climate risks are its long shoreline and its extensive low-lands that lie below sea level. The country’s vulnerability is increased by its low adaptive capacity, poverty, limited investment in modern technology, and weaknesses in its infrastructure and social services, especially those related to health and sanitation. 

 

Climate change is already having serious impacts in Mozambique. Changing temperatures and precipitation patterns, sea-level rise and the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones are already evident. The Global Climate Risk Index 2017 ranked Mozambique as the country most affected by climate change in 2015 due to heavy rainfalls, paramount flooding and an intensified monsoon season devastating infrastructure, agriculture and food security, affecting around one third of a million people. More recently in 2019, cyclones Idai (March) and Kenneth (April) brought destructive winds and torrential rain that created dangerous flooding, effectively creating an inland sea that cut off communities from vital services. Nearly two million people were left in need of humanitarian aid, with over 1000 people dying, and an outbreak of cholera being declared. Beyond the loss of human lives, these events result in the loss of crops, livestock and wildlife; the destruction of social and economic infrastructure; increased dependency on international support; inflation of food costs; harm to human health and the environment; and the destruction of habitats. Climate change represents a major barrier to the Mozambique’s efforts to fight poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

 

The silver lining to this critical situation is a sense of urgency around building the country’s resilience to climate change through low carbon development and the strengthening of planning and budgeting processes. There are number of national planning instruments that form entry points for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into all policies and strategies. The Five Years Programme of the Government (2015-2019) and the National Development Strategy (2015-2035) are the two key overarching plans for development. Mozambique also developed an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) in anticipation of the Paris Agreement, which they ratified in June 2018 turning the INDC into their formal pledge – their First NDC. The NDC outlines a number of strategic actions to be included in the NAP over the short, medium and long-term. Some of the key actions are: reduce climate risks through the strengthening of the early warning systems and the capacity to prepare and respond to climate risks; improve capacity for integrated water resources management including building climate resilient hydraulic infrastructures; increase the effectiveness of land use and spatial planning (protection of floodplains, coastal and other areas vulnerable to floods); increase the resilience of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, guaranteeing the adequate levels of food security and nutrition; and increase the adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable groups. Other adaptation priority actions, climate change impacts and future projections can be found in the NDC.