The Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development (MITADER) today has launched the “Building Local Climate Resilience” programme in Mozambique (MERCIM) in a strategic partnership with the European Union, and technical assistance by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

MERCIM is aimed at supporting local development initiatives in the ‘last mile’ of Mozambique. Taking into consideration the fact that Mozambique is highly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change, the project is designed to strengthen Government capacity to reduce climate vulnerability through improving the delivery of climate resilient basic services to rural communities and enhancing knowledge-based decision-making processes. The programme is expected to run until 2022.

Mr. Agostinho Fernando, Chef of Climate Change Department at the National Directorate of Environment-DINAB at MITADER, stated: “The MERCIM programme is essential for the provinces of Zambezia and Nampula as it will contribute to the strengthening of livelihood systems of the populations of the districts covered. The [programme] will contribute to poverty reduction in the districts of Memba and Mossuril, in Nampula, and Mopeia and Morrumbala, in Zambezia province.” He added that the programme will also increase the number of climate resilient infrastructure in the four districts.

MERCIM builds on the lessons learnt and good practices generated in the Environmental Sector Support Programme (PASA), which financed climate resilient infrastructure at the district level.

Mr. Ramon Cervera, Programme Manager of MERCIM, explained: “For UNCDF in Mozambique, it’s of crucial importance to work in areas that are susceptible to environmental shocks, especially the more isolated “last mile” areas that are not primary targets for other sources of development support. This initiative, is geared towards enhancing local government fiscal capability to finance existing local adaptation plans, which shall reinforce community resilience to climate conditions.

"The programme will be implemented in Memba and Mossuril (Nampula Province) and in Mopeia and Morrumbala (Zambezia Province). The coastal and riparian location of these districts makes their respective communities particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events,” he added.

Ms. Isabel Faria de Almeida, Head of EU Cooperation in Mozambique, explained that this programme, funded by the European Union's Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA +), will be implemented by the United Nations’ Capital Development Fund and the Ministry of Land, Environment and Rural Development (MITADER). The programme will focus on the Provinces of Nampula and Zambezia to ensure synergies with other European Union Development Programmes (PROMOVE). Concentration in these Provinces is particularly important given, on the one hand, the potential for rural development and, on the other, their climate vulnerability.

The European Union’s Financing Agreement for Building Local Climate Resilience in Mozambique has programme specific objectives which include support to the implementation of the National Climate Change Monitoring System in the two provinces. That will be done by creating capacity at the district and provincial level to monitor the reduced climate vulnerability resulting from the implementation of government prioritised action as per the Local Adaptation Plans. An associated objective is the provision of support for an effective and sustainable implementation of the actions themselves.