The city of Quelimane, hit by tropical cyclone Gombe less than a month ago, hosted the second meeting of the MERCIM Program Steering Committee - Improving Local Climate Resilience in Mozambique - this last Friday, April 1st, to celebrate the fruits and share learnings about the ability of subnational governments to reduce climate vulnerability through locally-led action.

Mozambique is Africa's third most vulnerable country to disaster risk, according to the UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. In the last three years, the country has suffered from two droughts and seven cyclones, including Cyclone Idai in 2019, the strongest to hit the African continent.

In response, the Ministry of Land and Environment launched the MERCIM Programme in 2020, with the strategic partnership with the European Union, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, with technical assistance from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and its methodology LoCAL - Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility.

“With the passage of Cyclone Gombe through the Provinces of Nampula and Zambezia, it was proven that MERCIM works and that it is extremely important for the future of the country, as climate change is already here”, said Wetela Jone, Land and Environment Inspector, Ministry of Land and Environment of Mozambique.

Tropical Cyclone Gombe hit the coastal area of ​​Nampula at dawn on 11 March, with winds of up to 190km/h and rainfall of up to 200mm/24h. The most recent data on its impact indicates that Gombe affected at least 736,015 people, caused 63 deaths and injured 108 people, with the greatest impact in Nampula and Zambezia provinces.

In addition to affecting around 730,000 people, Cyclone Gombe also destroyed important infrastructure in Nampula and Zambézia Provinces, part of the MERCIM Programme. Road damage is extensive, with around 1,000km of damage, including the destruction of a stretch of National Road 1 (EN1) isolating the central region from the rest of the country. Credit: INGD

Strengthening the capacity of local governments

MERCIM is designed using LoCAL methodology to strengthen the capacity of local governments to improve the delivery of climate-resilient basic services to rural communities and improve decision-making processes based on local knowledge.

This means providing capacity building and technical assistance to governments so that communities can actively participate in planning, budgeting and other local governance processes in a gender-sensitive manner.

“Local governments are able to lead, plan, budget and implement actions against climate change; MERCIM program only reinforces the existing capacities of local governments through funding”, stressed Ramon Cervera, UNCDF Representative in Mozambique.

Since the inception of MERCIM, 26 resilient activities and infrastructures have been fully funded, implemented and accounted for in the target districts. All these infrastructures and investment projects were identified, prioritized, selected and approved by the population of the districts together with local governments, taking into account the existing Local Adaptation Plans.

Participatory approach

The inclusive and participatory approach has been central to the implementation of MERCIM in all districts, both in deciding on climate resilient investments, but also in integrating climate change adaptation into planning and budgeting instruments and documentation.

“Community participation is extremely important because it is this community that suffers the effects of these climate changes. Engaging the community in the decision-making process and prioritizing the various situations that occur, in my opinion, is extremely important”, added Alcides Celestino, Director of Land and Environment Services in Zambezia Province, during the open debate with members of the steering committee

This process is done through the use of local consultative councils to ensure essential buy-in at the local level. First, local communities are engaged in what they consider to be their greatest needs, proposals are forwarded to local and then provincial administrations.

Consultative Council members participate in discussions during the resilient investment project prioritization exercise in Morrumbala, Mozambique, in which all residents are represented. The Council decides which project to prioritize based on specific local needs. These vary enormously from district to district as the impact of climate change takes many forms. Credit: UNCDF/Karel Prinsloo.

Local Adaptation Plans

In addition to the bottom-up participatory approach, MERCIM also facilitates the preparation and approval of Local Adaptation Plans, which aim to build resilience, including reducing climate risks, in communities and promoting sustainable development through their integration into the local planning process. The plans are a central part of the National Strategy for Adaptation and Mitigation of the Effects of Climate Change.

Altogether, through MERCIM, 18 Local Adaptation Plans were created in the Provinces of Nampula and Zambezia, covering all districts of the two provinces.

“The European Union is proud to support 18 Local Adaptation Plans and to be part of this pilot initiative that is MERCIM which has delivered on the promise of supporting climate resilience and sustainable community development,” said Aude Guignard, European Union Climate Adviser.

The MERCIM Programme, initially targeted at four districts in the Provinces of Zambézia and Nampula, selected in consultation with the Government of Mozambique and its development partners, is 90% funded by the European Union, totaling €4.3 million. The remaining of the investments worth €430,000 comes from the Catalan Development Cooperation Agency and the UNCDF.

Family photo of the MERCIM Steering Committee with the presence of the European Union Delegation in Mozambique, the Land and Environment Inspector, UNCDF Representative, district administrators’ part of the initiative and provincial governments of Nampula and Zambézia. Credit: UNCDF.