Mozambique. Photo source: ©© Julien Lagarde
Excerpts;
The coconut trees along the coastline of Zambezia, a province in northern Mozambique, provide livelihood opportunities for local communities and an estimated at 1.7 million people.
Since 2003, as many as 1 million coconut trees have been lost due to a lethal disease. At the present rate of spread, more than 50 per cent of the coconut area is likely to be lost over the next few years.
The loss of this vital resource has created a ripple effect as communities are now overexploiting local mangrove, which has exacerbated the problem of soil erosion in the area impacting negatively on housing, settlements, and agriculture.
Such vicious circles of poverty and environment are not unique to Zambezia. In fact, nationwide, over 82 per cent of jobs depend on natural resources and it is estimated that natural capital contributes up to 50 per cent of GDP.
Efforts to improve natural resource management are fundamental to poverty alleviation in Mozambique…
