On 11 July Luthando Dziba, WCS Regional Director for East Africa, Madagascar and the Western Indian Ocean, accompanied by Afonso Madope, WCS Mozambique Country Director, and John Guernier, Niassa Special Reserve Field Operation Manager, met with the Mozambican Government on the implementation of the Niassa Special Reserve Programme (NSR) and with the European Union delegation in Maputo (EEUU). During those meetings, the team discussed the WCS Programme in Mozambique, the US-funded project in the Niassa Special Reserve and the Blue Future Project funded by the Blue Action Fund in Nampula Province.
Luthando also met with the team responsible for the revision of the Niassa Special Reserve Co-Management Agreement where the process to be followed in the context of the review of the Co-operation Agreement was assessed. During this meeting it was agreed that the two entities should await the publication of the new regulation recently approved by the Government of Mozambique on collaborative management of Conservation Areas and harmonize the roadmap for reviewing the initiative. This roadmap will be very important to guide the steps that should be taken by the two entities for the revision of the current co-management agreement.
From left to rigth: John Guernier (WCS), Severiano Khoy (ANAC), Luthando Dziba (WCS), Pejul Sebastião (ANAC), Afonso Madope (WCS), Eugênio Manhiça (ANAC) and Terêncio Tamele (ANAC)
Luthando also met the Director General of ANAC, Pejul Sebastião, and the National Director of Forests, Cláudio Afonso where they discussed the Miombo Integrated Forest Management Initiative, which was launched by the Government of Mozambique, in April 2024 in Washington under the support of WCS and the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF).
The visit was also an opportunity for Luthando to interact with the staff of WCS Mozambique, in particular with the new Director of Finance and the new Director of Procurement, and was accompanied by the WCS Mozambique Country Director, Afonso Madope.