The Chimanimani region has lost around 47,200 hectares of tree cover since 2000.
This is due to factors such as expanding agriculture, uncontrolled fires, unsustainable timber harvesting and charcoal production, and increasing population pressures on forest resources. These primary drivers of deforestation and degradation threaten local biodiversity and ecological balance.
This project takes a holistic landscape restoration approach to restore and conserve the ecosystem services generated by the Chimanimani Mountains, including the 170,000 ha buffer zone surrounding Chimanimani National Park. The Chimanimani Mountains are a biodiversity hotspot, containing at least 78 endemic plant species and three-quarters of Mozambique’s Afromontane Forest cover. The mountains are also a source of the Buzi River, which provides water to thousands of people in central Mozambique and creates the estuaries that are home to Sofala Province’s mangrove forests along the coast.
Eden’s landscape restoration projects are holistic initiatives designed to address contextual ecological and socioeconomic needs within each landscape.
In Chimanimani, Eden’s holistic landscape approach incentivizes sustainable land uses through restoration and value chain development. Practically, this includes:
Eden’s landscape restoration work in Chimanimani is vital for mitigating the effects of deforestation, supporting biodiversity, facilitating sustainable livelihood opportunities for communities, and restoring critical landscapes. Over the next 15 years, Eden’s anticipated impact will create substantial benefits for the environment and communities, including: