Mozambique: Far-right wants to 'change regimes by force' - President
High hopes for Mozambique’s review of environmental policy and law
4:19 CAT | 09 Oct 2025
All photos: Ministério da Agricultura, Ambiente e Pescas
The Mozambican government has launched a review of its Environmental Policy and Law to help address challenges arising from population migration from rural to urban areas, as well as other environmental and land-use planning issues.
The government said the revision will guide the expansion and restructuring of urban areas to accommodate new residents, improve infrastructure and sanitation, and strengthen environmental quality and resilience to climate change.
Prime Minister Benvinda Levi, who opened the review process on Monday under the theme “Healthy Environment, Secure Future”, said there was a need to prioritise environmental guidelines in land-use planning, including in marine areas, as a foundation for sustainable national development. She also stressed the importance of mitigating the negative impacts of industrialisation and climate change, and of protecting environmental rights.
Levi said Mozambique’s social and economic transformation has led to growing demand for natural resources such as minerals, hydrocarbons, fisheries and forests. The shift from subsistence to commercial land use, she warned, could have negative environmental and social consequences.
She called for new approaches, principles and concepts in national legislation, in line with international agreements, conventions and environmental protocols to which Mozambique is a signatory.
“With the revision of the Environmental Policy and Law, we aim to ensure the full protection of environmental human rights, thereby promoting the well-being of citizens and communities in an inclusive and equitable manner,” Levi said.
The government also intends to place climate action at the centre of public environmental policy, focusing on strengthening resilience to extreme weather events and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The review will introduce an institutional model designed to improve stability, coordination and clarity of responsibilities among actors in the environmental sector, Levi added. It will also ensure integrated regulation of environmental, social and economic impact assessments to balance costs and benefits.
Levi said the updated law is expected to support the transition to green and blue economies, promote education, research and innovation, and encourage the transfer of clean and cost-effective technologies to enable sustainable resource use and consumption.
The new legislation will also strengthen community participation in planning and decision-making on the sustainable use and transport of natural resources.
“We believe that in this way we can achieve our shared goal of promoting socio-economic development in harmony with the preservation, protection and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity,” Levi said.
Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Minister Roberto Albino said the review of the environmental policy and law forms part of wider legal and institutional reforms in the sector.
Source: AIM Moçambique
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