NAMULI - Creation of a new protected area around Mount Namuli
Partners
Main goals
Mount Namuli, Mozambique's second highest peak, at 2,419 meters, is part of the superb chain of inselbergs in the north of the country. Its slopes covered with a mosaic of forests, meadows and farmland are incredibly diverse but threatened by the expansion of potato cultivation. The main objective of this initiative is to establish an official classification in the community protected area of Mount Namuli. By working with communities living around the mountain and developing with them a long-term natural resource management strategy, the project aims to put an end to deforestation in high altitude forests, to guarantee the resilience of the biodiversity of Mount Namuli and increase the standard of living of the populations.
Specific objectives
SO1. Promote economic and sustainable development of Afro Mountain areas less dependent on deforestation
SO2. Reinforce land security and promote better community management of natural resources
SO3. A landscape management strategy is developed to prioritize site interventions, identify vulnerable sites, preserve ecosystem services and prevent the spread of fires at altitude
SO4. Creation of a new community protected area around Mont Namuli with a conservation agreement to limit deforestation
Beneficiaries
- Heart area 5600 ha to be preserved
- 8 to 12,000 people live in the surrounding communities of Mont Namuli
Results
R1. Existing deforesting productions are identified and support measures are proposed
R2. Family farms have diversified their sources of income while reducing their pressure on deforestation
R3. 10 communities and 4,000 households have their legally recognized land rights
R4. Communities have a functional committee to manage their land and access to natural resources
R5. Priority conservation and restoration sites are defined, a land and resource use plan is put in place and a monitoring system makes it possible to trace and monitor deforestation
R6. A conservation agreement, including a moratorium on deforestation in the highlands, is implemented, which results in the creation of a new community protected area
Activities
A1. Typology and socio-economic studies allowing the identification of agricultural support measures to reduce deforestation
A2. Agricultural support to communities and implementation of support measures and agroecological practices
A3. Creation of an integrated beekeeping sector in the highlands
A4. Delimitation, mapping and official land recognition of 10 communities and land of 4,000 households
A5. Creation and capacity building of local associations in charge of land tenure and natural resources; development of the land and resource use plan for each community
A6. Mapping analysis for the identification of conservation / restoration areas and monitoring of forest cover
A7. Forest monitoring and pressure dynamics on ecosystems (fires, biodiversity)
A8. Supporting communities in the conservation and restoration of ecosystems: setting up a network of firewalls, restoration and reforestation areas and support from local nurseries
A9. Negotiation and implementation of a conservation agreement and compensatory measures
A10. Instruction and recognition of the community protected area with the National Agency for Protected Areas
Related documents
Our intervention strategies support to reduce Mount Namuli farmers’ dependence on natural resource (highland forest)
Mount Namuli - Community conservation area in the Republic of Mozambique
Landscape Dynamics Assessment of Mount Namuli Region
Namuli Initiative Progress Report January 2020 on creation of a new protected area in Mozambique
Namuli Initiative Progress Report January 2020 on creation of a new protected area in Mozambique
Land Use and Land Cover Map of Mount Namuli and surroundings
Diagnosis of agrarian dynamics on the Eastern slope of Mount Namuli & Analysis of agricultural practices into deforestation dynamics and d…
Related people
Margaux Béringuier
Agricultural Engineer graduated from the “Institut des Régions Chaudes” from Montpellier Supagro School, specialized in the management of agricultural resources and rural development in the South, Margaux joined the Nitidæ Mozambique team in January 2019, bringing her field expertise to the diagnosis of agricultural dynamics and to the definition and implementation of support measures for producers in our Nitidæ intervention zones in Mozambique. Today, she manages the NAMULI project and the second component of the ACAMOZ II project in the macadamia sector
Jean-Baptiste Roelens
Holder of a master Tropical environment and Biodiversity, he worked for 3 years in French Guyana, notably as forest ecology and soil science research officer at CIRAD. From 2008 to 2016 he worked at the WWF in Madagascar, France and Democratic Republic of Congo as Forest and Climate program manager. At WWF, he supported conservation, forest landscape restoration and REDD+ projects, he also conducted campaign and advocacy work on forest policies and energy infrastructure development. He joined Etc Terra - then nitidæ - in May 2016 as MOZBIO project manager around the Gilé national reserve in the Zambézia province in Mozambique.
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Noémie Rullier
Holder of an Engineering diploma in Agronomy, specializing in Sustainable agricultural & Agri-Food systems for the South, from Montpellier SupAgro- Institut des Régions Chaudes (IRC), she brings her expertise to support technical changes and development processes in rural area; to support farm advisory, training engineering and plant biology research
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Filimonio Felizardo Jonasse
Filimonio is a graduate technician from the Agronomic Professional Institue of Gurué (Zambézie). A native of Mount Namuli, he has been working for the conservation of the mountain since 2018. In particular, he has worked to secure the land rights of local communities, during a land demarcation program between 2020 and 2022. Since January 2024 he has been the new coordinator and Monitoring and Evaluation assistant for the Namuli project
Dias Antovano
He is graduated in agronomy (specializing in plant health) from Cuba's "Angel Galanena" Polytechnic Institute of Agronomy in 1988. Before working for development projects on the link between agriculture and environmental conservation, he accumulated experience in the private sector, notably in the tea (production and processing), vegetable and cereal sectors, in Mozambique and abroad. He has been involved in the Mount Namuli conservation effort since 2016, working on a wide range of issues including securing land rights, coordinating community land management and development plans, and agricultural development
Frédérique Montfort
Doctor of AgroParisTech in environmental sciences, she brings her expertise on the biodiversity component and on the degradation and restoration of forest landscapes. She joined N’Lab de Nitidæ in 2017 to carry out her thesis with the association, UR Forêts & Sociétés and UMR Tétis on the degradation and restoration of Miombo forest landscapes in Mozambique. She is currently conducting studies and technical support (capacity building, technology transfer) on various projects of the association
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Marie Nourtier
PhD in Forest sciences conducted at INRA Avignon, EMMAH research lab, she brings her expertise in forest ecology, support for REDD+ mechanism and carbon accounting, Environmental and social impact assessment of projects, project management and supervision of technical work
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Sá Nogueira Lisboa
Earned a BSc in Forestry and an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Tropical Ecosystems at Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique. His main research interest is forest dynamic, emphasizing ecological and human processes, trade-offs among ecosystem services and biodiversity. He has over five years of experience working with rural communities, NGOs, national governments, and international agencies. He brings his expertise in landscape-scale spatial modeling using innovative tools to address challenges related to land use change and environmental impacts.
Fáusia Higino José
A graduate of the Agronomic Professional Institute of Gurué, Zambézia, Mozambique, she joined the Namuli Project team in October 2020. After working for three years as a field technician, she is now our new administrative assistant.
Quinito Jerónimo
he is a graduate of Agronomic Professional Institute of Gurué, in Zambézie, Mozambique. Before joining the Nitidæ team, he worked for the Serviço de Vulgarização Agronomico de Gurué, for the Agrivalor company, for the Inovagro (Inovação Agronómica) program, for the UMOJA program and then for Codosa. He has also been a theater enthusiast for over 20 years, and has even taken part in Mozambique's National Culture Festival! He joined the Nitidæ team in October 2020 and has hard to secure land rights for Namuli communities between 2020 and 2022. Now trained in beekeeping, he provides technical assistance to agricultural producers and beekeepers in the mountains.
Aurélio Ratibo Brito
An agricultural engineer, he is a graduate of the Zambézie Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. Before joining the team, he worked in agricultural trade, as well as on land delimitation and natural resource management projects. Aurelio joined Nitidæ in January 2021, and has since been working on a wide range of issues including securing land rights, coordinating community land management and development plans, and agricultural development
Jonito Joaquim Talca
He is a graduate of the Agronomic Professional Institute of Gurué, in Zambézie, Mozambique. Before joining the Nitidæ team, he worked in market garden and beekeeping production, in agro-ecology projects, and for the reforestation of degraded areas in Mozambique. Since September 2020 he has been working as a technician on the Namuli team, providing technical assistance to agricultural producers and beekeepers in the mountains
Palmira Marinho Gravata Vitória
Graduated in economics and education from the Pedagogical University of Mozambique, with 7 years of experience as an administrative assistant, since 2019 she has been responsible for administration, finance, human resources management and relations public.
Valéry Bourotte
Graduate Engineer Agronomist, Sustainable Agrifood and Agronomic Systems in the South (SAADS) of the Institut des Régions Chaudes (IRC) Montpellier SupAgro, he brings his expertise to the teams' methodological support on the diagnosis realization at the territory and plot scalesto co-construct projects with producers
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Bertrand Descours
Graduated with a Master 1 in International Projects Coordinator (ESCD 3A LYON), he started as a humanitarian logistician from 2016, first in the NGO ACTED as well as at the French Red Cross and at Solidarités International. He then specialized in emergency epidemic or conflict missions through his missions abroad. He moved to the Lyon region and joined the team in September 2023
NAMULI 2 - Creation of a new protected…
