SADC Executive Secretary Joins Mozambican President in Urging Action for Miombo Woodlands Conservation
His Excellency Elias M. Magosi, the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), collaborated with His Excellency President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique and a consortium of natural resource management partners to address the urgent need for conservation and sustainable management of the Miombo Woodlands.
Their joint efforts culminated in a unified call for concrete action, voiced during the International Conference on the Miombo Woodlands convened in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2024.
President Nyusi spearheaded the conference, emphasizing the pivotal role of the Miombo Forest in global climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and integrated sustainable development.
He urged signatory countries to the Miombo Declaration to translate their commitments into tangible actions for the conservation and sustainable management of the Miombo Woodlands.
Furthermore, sustainable financing mechanisms were underscored as crucial for ensuring the initiative’s success in delivering benefits for biodiversity conservation and community development.
Acknowledging President Nyusi’s dedication to safeguarding the vast Miombo Forest, Executive Secretary Magosi applauded the significance of the Miombo Woodlands, which sustainably support the livelihoods of over 250 million people across southern Africa.
He highlighted the multifaceted challenges facing the Miombo Woodlands, including deforestation, climate change impacts, and population growth, all of which threaten the ecosystem’s survival and sustainability.
The conference served as a platform to advance the “Maputo Declaration on the Miombo Forest,” a regional framework championed by Mozambique and endorsed by 11 countries, including 10 SADC Member States.
Heads of Delegation from these nations, including Angola, Botswana, Malawi, and others, affirmed their commitment to conserving and mobilizing resources for the sustainable management of the Miombo Woodlands in the years ahead.
The event, organized in partnership with international conservation organizations such as the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), underscored the collaborative efforts needed to address the challenges facing one of Africa’s most vital ecosystems. As global attention turns towards conservation and sustainability, the urgency to protect the Miombo Woodlands has never been more apparent.
