Feasibility study on livelihood restoration in Mozambique

Posted on 19 Jun, 2017 by Paula Tsialonina

From June to September 2017, GFA Consulting Group is conducting a feasibility study on livelihood restoration in the context of an ongoing resettlement program in Limpopo National Park (LNP) in the south-western part of Mozambique. LNP is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) that includes Kruger National Park in South Africa and Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. The Park is of particular importance to the region's ecosystems and biodiversity. Unlike the rest of GLTP, Limpopo is fairly populated with over 30,000 people residing within the national park boundaries. While most of the villages are located within the buffer zone, five communities still live within the core zone of LNP designated to wildlife and tourism.

  

Human activities such as agriculture, construction, livestock and charcoal production put significant pressure on the park’s natural resources. At the same time, the local population and wildlife are increasingly competing for land and resources. In order to safeguard wildlife conservation and to enable sustainable development for the isolated villages within the park, a resettlement program addressing over 1,800 households was introduced in 2005. The local communities affected by the program live in a semi-arid, sparsely populated area with few livelihood options. Efforts have been made to provide assistance but so far impacts have been limited.

On behalf of the LNP management and the National Authority for Protected Areas, KfW has commissioned GFA Consulting Group to prepare a comprehensive feasibility study. The study will elaborate a livelihood restoration strategy and related village-level concepts and household-level plans. These planning tools will be used for livelihood-related interventions within a new phase of the resettlement program. Based on a close cooperation between the interdisciplinary GFA team of experts, the LNP management team, the local government and the affected communities, the feasibility study will create an added value for the livelihoods of the local population.