Maputo, Mozambique – “Economic growth and poverty reduction are priorities for developing countries; Climate change is a challenge to achieve these goals, a scenario which is aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic”, affirmed H.E. Vice-Minister of Economy and Finance of Mozambique, Ms. Carla Fernandes Louveira, during ceremony to acknowledge and thank the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom Sweden of US$1 million to COVID-19 response on 2 September. The funds will reinforce the preparedness and response to the pandemic, including its health and socio-economic impacts, particularly in the districts covered by the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) Facility of the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) for implementing district resilient infrastructures to climate change in Gaza and Inhambane Provinces.

photo 1 - Irrigation

UNCDF Mozambique/ Philip Hatcher-Moore

Penina Chaogua plants maize seeds in a field in Ndonga community, Gaza Province. With support of UNCDF LoCAL the community was able to build a canal system and irrigation project that supports a local agriculture cooperative and ensures food security for the whole community.

UNCDF Mozambique/ Philip Hatcher-Moore

In Mozambique, the LoCAL programme is designed to deliver solutions by providing access to climate finance for local governments in eight districts in Gaza Province and five districts in Inhambane Province. Its development methodology channels funds directly to the local level while providing incentives for local governments to mainstream climate-adaptive thinking into everyday planning and investment. LoCAL outputs in Mozambique are contextualized to meet the specific adaptation challenges of improving food and nutritional security, promoting the sustainable management of natural resources and increasing the resilience of rural communities to the adverse effects of climate change. Now, preparedness and response to COVID-19 measures are being added to protect local communities whilst sound, long-term investments beyond immediate considerations, to increase the resilience towards climate change impacts are safeguarded.

H.E. Vice-Minister of Economy and Finance of Mozambique, Ms. Carla Fernandes Louveira, and the Chargé d’ Affairs and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to Mozambique, Ms. Susanne Spets, in the ceremony to acknowledge and thank the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom Sweden of US$1 million to COVID-19 response in Mozambique

UNCDF Mozambique/ Ernânio Mandlate

Mozambique is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. The occurrence of natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, sea level rise, coastal erosion, drought and earthquakes has consistently had a significant impact on people and the economy with greater intensity in recent years. It is estimated that as much as 25 percent of the population faces a high mortality risk from such events, and the country ranks as the second most geographically exposed country in Africa.

“That’s is one the reasons why LoCAL is an instrument that complements government activities as it supports financing the global challenge of climate change adaptation at the local level and contributes to the integration of climate change into local plans and budgets, building up local capacities and developing resilient infrastructure for local communities”, highlighted the Ms. Carla Fernandes Louveira.

Ms. Susanne Spets, Chargé d’ Affairs and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to Mozambique, affirmed that a key priority of Sweden is strengthening local capacities to contribute to a greater resilience to the impacts of natural disasters.

“That is in this context that the Embassy of Sweden decided to partner with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and UNCDF to support the LoCAL initiative and Gaza and Inhambane Provinces”, highlighted Ms. Spets. “For effective operationalization of preparedness and response plan to COVID-19 plans, Sweden understands that local governments and communities must be at the forefront”, she continued.

Four months after identifying the first positive case of COVID-19, there are currently over 4,000 cases in Mozambique. This demonstrates the urgency of continued preventive measures against the coronavirus as well as how action at the local level is needed to fight the novel coronavirus across the country

Photo 3 - Clinic in Cunguma

“This project that built the new clinic is important for the community of Cunguma. Before this, the community had no help at all. Pregnant women had to give birth at home with no proper assistance or walk up to 50km to reach the nearest clinic. This community is surrounded by two rivers, and during the rainy season they were cut off. When you're ill, you can't wait for the boat”, expressed Laila Agostinho Huô, a member of the community council in Cunguma, Chicualacuala District, in Gaza Province.

UNCDF Mozambique/ Helvisney Cardoso

In the midst of the resulting uncertainty of the pandemic, the allocation of funds to the districts follows a participatory approach involving and seeking to meet the needs of local communities. These resources are oriented towards catalyzing development actions in priority sectors that impact the livelihoods of local communities and reinforce the response to the demand resulting from COVID 19 in the areas of water, hygiene and sanitation; education and health services, as well as family farming and rural livelihoods, which are also being severely affected by the pandemic.

“The decentralized participatory approach to local plans aims at including local communities’ voices, knowledge and development experiences, in a close dialogue with local government. The process includes woman and men representing the communities within the districts and aims to enhance local government accountability in matters related to governance and social, economic development”, stressed Ramon Cervera, UNCDF Programme Officer in Mozambique.

Photo 4 – School in Guijá

“Before the school was built, children had to have classes under the tree on the ground. Now children are safer inside a concrete building. I think they are learning more and faster now” affirmed Tamara Moiane, mother of three children and resident of Guijá District, in Gaza province. The school was one of the infrastructures selected by the own community to be part of the district local development plan with support from LoCAL. Photo taken in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak in Mozambique started.

UNCDF Mozambique/ Philip Hatcher-Moore

“We are pleased to know that local communities in the 13 most vulnerable districts in Gaza and Inhambane Provinces covered by LoCAL are benefiting from this support and are fully involved in the planning and prioritization process, as well as being involved in the implementation and monitoring of resilient interventions”, expressed Ms. Spets, Chargé d’ Affairs and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to Mozambique.

LoCAL Field work is conducted by local authorities with supervision and direct support from the Ministry of Economy and Finance in coordination with the Ministry of Land and Environment, and the Ministry of Health through its decentralized governance structures and technically supported by the United Nations Capital Development Fund - UNCDF.

“The Government maintains its commitment to apply strategically, attentively and rigorously the resources that have been placed at its disposal in order to achieve the program's result as well as proceed with actions focused on increasing income and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth at the local level”, concluded H.E. Vice-Minister of Economy and Finance of Mozambique, Ms. Carla Fernandes Louveira,

The United Nations Capital Development Fund in Mozambique is devising a blueprint for a more resilient planet and society that leaves no one behind. Actions are being taken across the country to ensure a more resilient future.