Gorongosa: A beacon of hope in one of Africa’s last great wild places

Image © Clive Dreyer

On the back of a motorbike, dictaphone in hand, Amemarlita Matos arrives in a village in central Mozambique’s Great Rift Valley. As a researcher in social ecology – the interaction between humans and nature – she’s there to listen.

“I want to learn more about the relationship between traditional knowledge and conserving biodiversity,” she says. “I’m researching how communities manage natural resources, and how these sustainable practices can influence conservation.”

As Amemarlita interviews people, she builds a clearer picture of techniques that could help mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. One woman explains how they rely on planting fast-growing trees to protect from damaging winds. Another talks about the importance of forests to manage rainfall.

“You have to be there, not as a scientist, not as someone who is there to teach them, but as someone who is there to learn,” says Amemarlita. She and her interviewees are part of a wider movement, which has seen the steady restoration of an almost-lost wilderness. And indeed, the Gorongosa National Park is an ecological gem. Stretching across one million acres, ranging from savannah to forest to wetlands, it’s home to an abundance of wildlife. Elephants graze, lions hunt. Rare Green-headed Orioles nest in the rainforest that tops Mount Gorongosa. It is a picture of biodiversity.

But this wasn’t always the case. Civil war between 1977 and 1992 led to the loss of more than 90 per cent of the park’s wildlife. Since 2004, the Gorongosa Restoration Project has been working to reverse the decline, in the hope of returning the area to its rightful place as one of Africa’s greatest parks.[1]

The project focuses on four areas: conservation, where the aim is to protect the park’s animals and landscapes for future generations; community, that is to say improving people’s wellbeing through health, education, and agricultural programmes; science, i.e., understanding Gorongosa’s complex web of life to make informed management decisions; and sustainable tourism, which means employing local people and generating income, so that local communities can have a meaningful stake in the park’s management and rehabilitation.

“We’re guided by the principle that nature conservation and community must go together,” says Aurora Malene, president of the project.  “This creates a virtuous cycle, a thriving ecosystem that delivers social, economic, cultural, and spiritual benefits to the people of Gorongosa. And in return, they become environmental stewards.”

It has been an incredible success story so far. Wildlife populations are recovering, with some antelope species even growing beyond historical levels, and the park is now one of the best-managed and most biodiverse places in Mozambique. Celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, the Gorongosa Restoration Project is led by Mozambicans and employs nearly 2,000 people.[2] In fact, it’s one of the largest employers in central Mozambique.[3]

The project’s community development work includes a Master’s programme for young Mozambicans like Amemarlita. And a strong human development and livelihoods programme supports the wellbeing of 200,000 local people.[4] These efforts have included providing cooking stoves, water, sanitation, adult literacy classes, and clinics, as well as supporting sustainable agriculture and businesses.

One of its products, the park’s smooth, aromatic coffee ‘Gorongosa Green’ sells around the world – perhaps the first brew to singlehandedly protect elephants, restore rainforests, and supports girls to stay in school.

Peace has returned to the area, bringing with it a hope fired by strengthening connections between Gorongosa and its people. The park has re-opened for tourism since 2022, bringing in thousands of people from around the world for spectacular safaris, with all proceeds benefitting the restoration project.

Watch the videos below to see the beauty of the park’s wild landscapes, and learn more about the role of local communities in the project

Oak supports the Gorongosa Restoration Project through our Environment Programme, which seeks to safeguard our future by restoring our connection to nature, and changing the ways we feed and fuel our world. The Wildlife, Conservation, and Trade Sub-programme recognises that wild places are a form of natural security for both the wildlife and people that call them home.

References
[1] Gorongosa National Park. (n.d.). Timeline. https://gorongosa.org/timeline/
[2] Gorongosa National Park. (2024, March). Gorongosa highlights 2023. https://gorongosa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Gorongosa-Highlights_2023.pdf
[3] Green, M. A. (2023, September 12). “Rewilding” by investing in people. Wilson Center. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/rewilding-investing-people
[4] Gorongosa Restoration Project. (2023). Gorongosa Highlights 2023. Gorongosa Restoration Project. https://gorongosa.org/highlights-2023/