WWF Mozambique - Working in Lake Niassa

29th October 2021

WWF MCO MILESTONES IN THE FIRST 15 YEARS IN MOZAMBIQUE
Advocacy for
Prior, WWF started designation of Development & start
activities in 1994 under
Declaration and Mozambican portion of of 5-Year (2005-10)
WWF International Declaration of Management of
project to manage
establishment of
Marromeu Lake Niassa as a
the Quirimbas Quirimbas National
Bazaruto National complex as a national reserve and Park Project funded
National Park
Park Ramsar site a Ramsar Site by AFD & FFEM

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Establishment of ‘Gift to the Earth’ Fund raising for Programmes on Development of 1st
Mozambique award to President functioning of reduction of illegal Quirimbas
Country Office Chissano for Quirimbas fishing practices, National Park
Extension of declaration of National Park creating Management
Bazaruto Quirimbas National alternative Plan (2005-2010)
Archipelago Park and the income streams,
National Park extension of Bazaruto and environmental
encompassing all Archipelago National education in P&S
islands & adjacent Park Islands region
waters
 LAKE NIASSA &
LICHINGA PLATEAU MALAWI

• WWF working there since 2004

Chipanje Chetu
LAKE
NIASSA Community
Manda Conservation
• Lake Niassa a Partial Reserve & Wilderness Area
NIASSA SPECIAL
RAMSAR site Community
RESERVE
Conservation
Area
• About 80% of people near lake consider Lake Niassa
fishing more important than agriculture Partial
Reserve
Lichinga
Plateau
• Species & Habitats
-Most species diverse lake on Earth, LUGENDA
RIVER BASIN
over 800 species of cichlids (99% endemic)
-Elephants, buffalos, lions, hypos &
crocodiles in adjacent community
• Major threats
conservation areas (Manda Wilderness)
-Plateau major source of life-giving
-Overfishing
water
-Deforestation (firewood & charcoal production) and uncontrolled wild fires
for people (Niassa & Cabo Delgado
-Land degradation due to unsustainable agriculture (tobacco & commercial timber exploitation)
provinces) & nature (Niassa National
-Water pollution due to use of agrochemicals, gold artisanal mining
Reserve & associated hunting blocks)
-Poor water management resulting in 6% of native species & 11% of endemic
species being classified as threatened with extinction
 Lake Niassa Partial Reserve Management Committee Established (MSP)

Consultation meeting with private

sector 2018

Committee composed by 36 members:

● 12 CCPs representatives;
● 4 community leaders;
● 11 public institutions;
● 3 from teaching and research institutions;
● 3 from private sector and 3 from civil society.
 Fisheries management in the Lake Niassa Partial Reserve is enhanced through a
stronger evidence base, increased capacity, and public dissemination of data.

Community fisheries councils actively

participating in fisheries management in Niassa
Lake Reserve.

MOMS and catchment monitoring system is

operating effectively and responds to community
monitoring needs in the Lake Niassa Reserve.
 Fisheries management in the Lake Niassa Partial Reserve is enhanced through
a stronger evidence base, increased capacity, and public dissemination of data.

• Strengthened the capacity of Community • Established fishing sanctuaries in Meluluca

Councils for Fisheries (CCPs) village
• Restructured and Strengthened 4 CCPs
Health of forests/watersheds draining into the lake is secured through community-based
forest management and targeted interventions with domestic users and the private
sector.

• 82 women in Chigoma and Metangula village

capacitated in the construction of improved
wood saving stoves;

Fuel-efficient kilns and stoves disseminated

and adopted, contributing to:

• Improvements in human well-being

(reduced exposure to smoke), and;
• Reductions in forest degradation.
 Health of forests/watersheds draining into the lake is secured through community-based forest
management and targeted interventions with domestic users and the private sector.

A Forest assessment was conducted by WWF at the Lake Niassa:

● The general condition of the woodland vegetation is in a degraded state, due to regular cutting of stems
of a wide range of stem diameters, and regular fires burning throughout the landscape.

● 2-day training sessions, including discussions, with three resource user groups at the selected Metangula,
Mbamba and Meluluca sites;
● A total of 40 people (27 Women and 13 Men) attended the training session, representing different groups of
forest users.
 WASH activities are implemented sustainably in one community, and associated
conservation outcomes within the Reserve are being tracked.

04 Solar powered water 04 Local Water Contributed to: Beneficiaries In Mataca,

supply systems; Management Chigoma, Meluluca and
11 water fountains Reduced walking distance for
Committees water collection Malangalanga
constructed Established
49% increase of Households with ● 6,326 people;
(In Mataca, Chigoma, 04 Monitoring system ● 2,147 students at primary
Meluluca and access to safe drinking water
for guidance school in Mataca, Chigoma
Malangalanga) established 3.7% reduction in water related
disease and Meluluca
 Sustainability and continuity of:
● MOMs,
● Established sanctuaries
● WASH system

Challenges
Limited funds for scientific research

Establishment of alternative livelihood options that

reduce direct pressure on fishery resources and forest

Functional and effective transboundary coordination

Establishment of the Lake Niassa Reserve management

structure (administrative)

Updating the Lake Niassa Reserve Management plan

Keep Calm and Smile with
Freshwater