In the province of Zambezia, on the central coast of Mozambique, access to drinking water reaches minimum level: 72% of the rural towns are not served by a water supply system. Natural springs, rivers, and a few hand-dug wells are the only source of water available to the population and the lack of adequate water infrastructure and consequent mismanagement of resources contribute to increasing levels of poverty. In agricultural centers, such as Lugela, the situation is further exacerbated by the recent strong demographic growth, as a result of the arrival of many people displaced during the war.

To improve the living conditions of these communities and contribute to the sustainable improvement of water and sanitation sector, the project “Development of water and sanitation infrastructures in the districts of Lugela and Ile – Zambezia” has identified the sources of water available in the area, the infrastructures in need of rehabilitation, the sources and sites suitable for the construction of new infrastructures. The project increased the availability of safe water in the two districts, both for drinking and domestic use, improved the basic hygienic conditions and limited the number of conflicts arising because of the use of resources. The sources rehabilitated and those of new construction, that provide high-quality water, are operated by specially trained community people in charge of maintenance, social awareness on safe water and personal hygiene.

Awareness campaigns and activities to prevent of waste of water have so far resulted in better sanitary conditions for the population of the district as well as an increase in time available for productive activities and education: it’s the time recovered from the long hours necessary to gather water directly from streams or surrounding wells ever more distant. Exactly as predicted by the WHO, which goes so far as to estimate the return on investments in water: for every dollar spent, the economic advantage would be between 7 and 12 dollars.

The National Reserve of Gilé, one of the first protected areas of Mozambique, was established in 1932 and it covers 2100 km2 between the districts of Gilé and Pebane, in the eastern part of the province of Zambezia. Due to the indiscriminate exploitation of its resources, of some traditional practices (such as the use of fire) and poor management by the competent authorities, the reserve is now rapidly declining. The area, only officially protected, has an urgent need of actions to safeguard biodiversity.

The project “Community Management and Conservation of Natural Resources in the districts of Gilé and Pebane – Zambezia” was created to develop and promote a correct and sustainable use of natural resources, especially in the poorest and disadvantaged rural areas, and it sees the involvement of local communities in the development of real decision-making processes for the conservation of biodiversity.

In the Buffer Zone, located between an area totally lacking of regulation on natural resources management (outside the reserve) and an area where access to resources is prohibited (within the Reserve) environmental studies have been developed, specific training courses organized, sustainable economic activities activated and campaigns have been run.

Rangers and staff of the Department of Tourism (DPTZ) and the Reserve have been involved in courses on sustainable management, communities approached new techniques for biodiversity preservation and conservation agriculture, local farmers launched 120 experimental agricultural sites and professionals groups were born for sustainable fisheries, bee-keeping, carpentry and the reduction of man-animal conflict. Moreover, from awareness campaigns a program of exchange of instruments used for illegal hunting with farming tools has raised .. from old lance now fields of peppers, cabbage, onions and tomatoes are growing.