Country/Region: Niassa Reserve, Mozambique, Africa
Partner: Fauna & Flora
The Niassa Reserve is a vast protected area in northern Mozambique along the border with Tanzania and covers an immense 42,000 km² representing one of the last great wilderness areas of Africa.
The Reserve was until very recently under a unique management model through a public private partnership between the Government of Mozambique and Investimentos Niassa. Since 2003, it was supported by Fauna & Flora as its principal strategic partner.
Aside from its inherent wilderness values, Niassa is a critical reserve within Mozambique’s protected area system holding 70% of the nation’s elephant population and is also one of the five most important areas for lion and wild dog.
In a strategy to support the Niassa National Reserve and the continuity of conservation efforts, Fauna & Flora has engaged directly in certain concessions within the Reserve – Miuro (L5N), Jurege (L6) and Misangese (R6) – which offer the opportunity for very long term conservation engagement. Collectively this concession initiative is being named and branded Chuilexi Conservancy.
One of the overarching goals behind this Concession initiative is significantly to raise the bar or standard of conservation management in Niassa; and to establish proactive and mutually beneficial relationships with relevant local communities. In a nutshell this initiative will establish an effective reserve within a reserve.
More specifically for the Misangese concession – the part of the project supported by Fondation Segré – the overriding purpose is the reduction of elephant poaching and other illegal activities. Success will naturally provide a buffer and protection to the other concessions of Chuilexi. To do so this project proposes to develop and establish, from scratch, the necessary management framework and anti-poaching presence within Misangese.
The project will focus on:
- The essentials of anti-poaching operations within Misangese, beginning with much needed infrastructure
- Proactive engagement with the community of Gomba within Misangese; and
- The adequate provision of senior and middle management from the Chuilexi Conservancy structure as a whole to ensure effective coordination and oversight of activities within Misangese.
