UNESCO World Heritage Site: Island of Mozambique, Management, Conservation and Resilient Habitat in the face of Cyclones

Abstract

This publication aims to present the participatory approach work carried out in close partnership between GACIM - the Conservation Office of the Island of Mozambique, the Portucalense University, and Mozambican consultants, between October 2024 and July 2025. The Portucalense University team and the Mozambican consultants coordinated the implementation of the project ‘Community Participation in Assessing the State of Conservation of Heritage and Resilience Mechanisms in Response to Risks and Disasters caused by Cyclone Gombe’ promoted by GACIM and funded by UNESCO’s World Heritage International Assistance Fund. This extensive and intensive work was structured around 4 pillars: A. Technical capacity building; B. Post-cyclone conservation status assessment; C. Development of a multi-sectoral management tool to respond to disasters; D. Preparation of a brochure with recommendations for a more cyclone-resilient habitat. This publication does not replace the in-depth knowledge of local technicians, nor the know-how of local communities. Rather, it aims to present a tool for understanding ways to assess the island’s state of conservation; to enable, through GIS, more effective management of the island’s growing exposure to increasingly aggressive cyclones; and to present recommendations that contribute to strengthening the local habitat. .