Mangroves of Maputo, Mozambique: from Threatened to Thriving?

Abstract

Coastal wetlands worldwide are among the most productive yet highly threatened systems in the world, and are framed and protected by the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), of which Mozambique is a party since 2004 (IUCN, 1971). Maputo city coastline consists of an ample alluvial plane, where large extensions of mangrove forests occur within the city, namely the Costa do Sol wetlands, offering a wide range of ecological and economical services. Here, urban development pressure is increasing and rapidly changing dynamics are creating new urban settings, pressing in ecological sensitive areas of Maputo's coastline. The functions of the still existing ecosystems and positive effects that these can have within the urban environment are relevant to be known and investigated in light of the greenway principles. Through the landscape architecture lens, insights on the service capacity of these mangroves in terms of conservation strategies, local perception, usage and management, and design possibilities are added, which can contribute to maintain and expand the high urban quality that is historically attached to Maputo city.

Assessment of the vulnerability of coastal mangrove ecosystems in Mozambique

“…Machangulo Peninsula, Maputo province) as having a high potential for mangrove forests occurrence. Although, this region is currently dominated by sand dunes (Bandeira and Paula, 2014) and coastal lakes and lagoons (da Costa and Ribeiro, 2017), other studies performed in the Amazon Coast of Brazil (see Costa et al, 2016) revealed a high rate of survival and growth of mangrove seedling survival on sandy soils. Excluding estuaries, coastal Mozambique has rather sandy sediments; the sand dunes dominating the long stretch of southern Mozambique, and also South Africa (Kwazulu/Natal) (Tinley, 1985) are potentially favourable for mangrove recolonization provided that a conducive condition exists, such as regular tidal flooding (Spier et al 2016).…”