Community-Led Natural Resources Management
Through Participatory Spatial Data: Empowering Communities in the Gorongosa-Marromeu Complex for Sustainable Resource Management
Aug 2024 - Apr 2025
Overview
This project, funded by USAID, arises from the observation of the fact that the communities in Mozambique, particularly in the central province of Sofala, serve as custodians of natural resources. Beyond their constitutional rights, these communities are entrusted with the following responsibilities: i) Protection and Conservation, II) Sustainability and iii) Livelihood improvement.
Project Launch ceremony (Inhaminga, August 2024)
Carried out in collaboration with Gorongosa National Park and the respective district government, the project aimed to empower local communities in natural resources management through participatory spatial data techniques, including: Enhancing Community Engagement in the Wildlife Crime, through active participation of community members, particularly youth and women in the decision-making processes related to natural resource management and establish an inclusive framework that actively involves community members in resource management decision-making by leveraging data collected by the communities.
The execution of the project was guided through the following activities: community mobilization and engagement, promotion of community capacity building and training sessions on community based natural resources management, participatory spatial mapping, data collection using mobile devices, identification and reporting of wildlife crime, and value chain mapping and opportunities.
Results
25 members of local natural resource management committees are now able to use mobile devices to collect evidence and report environmental crimes in near real-time through a spatial data-based system, reinforcing their surveillance capabilities against environmental crimes at the community level. 5 communities from Gorongosa National Park buffer zone have been provided with knowledge about identifying alternative livelihoods and trained in biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Applied Skills
Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning
Sustainable Livelihoods
GIS
Natural Resources Management
Involved institutions
