The COMBO+ Program, a partnership between the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS-Mozambique) and the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity (BIOFUND), brought to Maputo Professor Martine Maron from the University of Queensland to train 47 technicians from the National Directorate of Environment (DINAB) Biodiversity Offset Assessment and Monitoring Office (RAACB), representatives from the Environmental Impact Assessment Technical Commission (CTA), environmental consultants, academia and members of the environment departments of mega-development projects.
The training took place between 19 and 20 June 2024 and aimed at building national capacity in government and NGO institutions for the development of species and ecosystem metrics for estimating biodiversity losses and gains to implement biodiversity offsets, in accordance with the Directive on Biodiversity Offsets (Ministerial Diploma no. 55/2022, of 19 May).
This training marks the end of this phase of the modular training program promoted by COMBO+ program since 2021, aimed at DINAB's Biodiversity Offset Assessment and Monitoring Office (RAACB), the Technical Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment Evaluation (CTA), academia, the private sector, NGOs and all other actors involved in the implementation of Biodiversity Offsets in Mozambique.
Martine Maron speaking to the trainees during the event
More national capacity-building training will be implemented, the next ones being aimed at the financial sector and students. In any case, with the completion of the modular training plan, the country is considered to have the necessary foundations in place for the effective implementation of Biodiversity Offsets, in accordance with Ministerial Diploma No.o 55/2022 of 19 May.
Martine Maron (PhD) is a Professor of Environmental Management at The University of Queensland and is and the Impact Mitigation and Ecological Compensation (IMEC) Thematic Group chair, which is part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Commission on Ecosystem Management, and aims to support ongoing improvement towards best practice in the application of the mitigation hierarchy.
COMBO+ Program is currently funded by the Agence Française de Developpement (AFD) and the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM), with co-financing from other donors, including NORAD. In Mozambique, COMBO+ is also funded by MOZBIO 2 (World Bank), UNDP (BIOSFAC and BIOFIN) and by Sweden Embassy (SIDA).