Sida's work in Mozambique
Sida focuses on the environment and climate as Mozambique is severely affected by climate change. Human rights, economic development and peace are other important areas. The country's economy continues to develop, but inequality is high and many people live in poverty. People are in great need of humanitarian support, mainly due to the conflict in the north of the country.
Sida’s support in Mozambique 2023
Why do Sida work in Mozambique?
Vulnerable to climate change
Mozambique is highly vulnerable to climate change and is subject to recurrent extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts and floods. The extraction of non-renewable natural resources such as oil, gas and coal leads to overexploitation of ecosystems and affects biodiversity. At the same time, Mozambique’s economic development is dependent on extraction and the population relies on agriculture, fishing, forestry, tourism and energy for their livelihoods. Many people also still lack access to electricity.
Conflict and loss of democracy
The democratic space in Mozambique is shrinking. The violent conflict between armed terrorist groups and government troops in the north and climate crises have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee within the country, led to food insecurity and increased gender-based violence. The population’s already limited resources are insufficient and humanitarian aid is underfunded. At the same time, the implementation of the peace agreement has been successful.
Economic empowerment
Despite increased economic growth, the cost of living is high and not enough new jobs are being created. The majority of Mozambique’s population works in small-scale agriculture and the vast majority do not produce enough for their own food consumption. The government prioritises the development of social security systems, but the budget is small and the vast majority of workers in the informal economy are not covered by the social security system.
Examples of what Sida contributes to
Fler har tillgång till elektricitet
Tillgången till elektricitet ökar, men fortfarande saknar cirka 17,5 miljoner människor på landsbygden och i städerna el och nätanslutningen är mestadels koncentrerad till stadsområden. Sida stödjer flera olika program och projekt som ökar människors tillgång till förnybar energi, bidrar till energieffektivitet och främjar privata investeringar i förnybar energi.
Fredsprocess avancerar
Biståndet har stöttat genomförandet av fredsavtalet i Moçambique. Genom stöd till FN:s Fredssekretariat har fredsavtalets signerande partner kommit överens och hittat lösningar som gör att avväpnade före detta stridande har tillgång till försörjning, utbildning och pensioner. För att nå en långsiktigt hållbar fred återstår det viktiga arbetet med att nå försoning mellan människor, att integrera människor i samhället igen och makten behöver flyttas närmare befolkningen.
Social trygghet ökar
Sida bidrar genom FN och Världsbanken till utvecklingen av effektiva betalningssystem som når fler människor som lever i fattigdom. Bland annat gjorde systemet det möjligt att betala ut mer än 10 000 nya barnbidrag under 2023 till vårdnadshavare i landets norra konfliktdrabbade provinser.
Development cooperation in Mozambique
Mozambique’s economy is recovering from the financial crisis of recent years, with recurring climate-related disasters and deteriorating security in the north of the country. The country is facing serious economic difficulties. At the same time, growth is increasing as well as people’s income, more children are going to school and more people have access to water, electricity and sanitation (toilets, sewage and waste management). Disparities between provinces, urban and rural areas remain high.
A peace agreement between the government and the opposition party was signed in 2019, and since then the work on reconciliation and the return of people to their communities has been successful.
Sida supports civil society organisations and the UN to improve the lives of people living in vulnerability and poverty. Sida’s support in Mozambique goes towards creating sustainable peace, climate and environment, democracy, increased respect for human rights, a rule of law that treats all people equally before the law, increased gender equality and economic development that benefits all people.
Mozambique is one of the most vulnerable and exposed countries in Africa to extreme weather due to climate change. In recent years, the country has been severely affected by droughts, cyclones and floods and this is expected to increase.
Natural resources are depleted and the country has difficulty coping with climate crises and natural disasters. This makes it difficult for people to make a living and particularly affects those working in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, tourism and energy.
In the field of climate and environment, Sida supports civil society organisations through the UN and the World Bank. Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports:
More people have gained access to electricity in the last five years. Today, more than 30 per cent of the population has access to electricity. Sweden contributes to Mozambique’s Energia Para Todos (Energy for All) programme, partly through the World Bank’s fund of the same name. By the end of 2022, more than 300,000 households had access to electricity through the fund. In Vilanculos, Sida’s support for electrification has improved household access to electricity, making it easier for people to start businesses.
The BRILHO programme increases access to energy for people and businesses through private sector capital. 1,120,000 Mozambicans and 16,600 micro and small businesses have gained access to off-grid energy, 2,400 full-time jobs have been created and more than SEK 283 million has been mobilised.
Sida contributes to the conservation and strengthening of biodiversity in the country’s national parks and other protected areas through the Mozambican foundation Biofund. They work on land and forest management and utilisation.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is improving cooperation between fisheries and the environment. This empowers people living in poverty in coastal communities that depend on fishing. Poverty is reduced and people become more food and nutritionally secure and more resilient to crises.
It is important that the new land policy is duly supported by the population. Sida is supporting We Effect, which through the Forum of Non-Governmental organizations of Niassa (FONAGNI) is involving people to actively participate in the preparatory work for implementing the new land policy and land law. Improved land rights and agricultural practices have increased production and access to food.
Mozambique’s infrastructure needs to adapt to a changing climate with extreme weather. Sida is supporting the United Nations Capital Development Fund’s (UNCDF) LoCAL initiative, which develops and adapts to climate public facilities, in water management, health and education. The aim is also to develop rural production.
Mozambique’s public sector fails to provide citizens with access to effective and equitable social services such as health care and education. Legislation on the right to education and the right to one’s own body is relatively strong, but the laws are not always enforced.
Corruption is widespread and it is difficult to hold those responsible to account. Decision-making is centralised. 42% of members of parliament are women.
Sida cooperates with civil society organisations and through, for example, the UN to increase respect for human rights, support democratic development, a legal sector that treats all people equally before the law and increased gender equality. Here are two examples of programmes that Sida supports:
Many girls do not finish primary school, often because they are forced to marry or become pregnant. Sida is empowering women and girls through the Rapariga Biz and IPAS programmes, which offer safe abortions and various types of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, including access to safe consultation rooms and education for women and girls.
During the year, UNPFA contributed to mobile health clinics in the north of the country that strengthened the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of 37 494 women and girls and trained 118 260 girls, boys and men on SRHR and gender-based violence.
Despite strong economic growth in recent decades, poverty has not decreased at the same rate. The vast majority of people work in the informal economy. This means that they usually lack job security and a secure and adequate income. The vast majority of those who do work do not earn enough to lift themselves out of poverty.
The conflict in northern Mozambique and recurrent natural disasters negatively affect small-scale farmers, businesses and families.
Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports to improve the lives of people living in poverty and be part of the country’s economic development.
70 per cent of those working are employed in agriculture, often on a small scale. Sida supports the Beira Triple Resilience programme, which is a collaboration with IFDC. The programme focuses on productive and resilient agriculture that increases people’s food security and creates productive employment with decent conditions.
Through the MozTrabalha programme implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), people get employment with decent conditions. The programme supports the government in labour market-friendly budgeting processes for increased job creation.
It is difficult to run a business in Mozambique, which affects women to a greater extent. Sida is supporting several projects to improve the business environment and increase access to financial services, especially for women. One example is the support to Women in Business (WIN), which supports women-owned businesses to increase their income through better access to products, finance and services.
In 2023, Parliament has approved labour market legislation to provide more secure conditions. Sida supports workers’ organisations in responding to the government’s proposals. One of them received support to develop service centres to provide greater social security to people in the informal economy in poor areas of the capital Maputo. For example, support is provided so that people can register their businesses with the authorities, access social security schemes and join trade unions. The work is a collaboration between authorities and other organisations in the country.
In August 2019, the Mozambican government and the former guerrilla group Renamo signed a new peace agreement, the Maputo Agreement. Renamo is now the main opposition party.
Progress has been slow, for example in the reintegration of former combatants. There is also an active conflict in the north of the country, where Mozambican troops, supported by international forces, are fighting an armed group with links to Islamic extremism. The conflict is due, among other things, to the uneven distribution of resources within the country, lack of access to basic social services, lack of jobs, and lack of democracy.
Here are some examples of programmes and projects that Sida supports to help the country’s peace process:
In cooperation with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Sida is supporting the Mocambique Peace Secretariat to implement the so-called Maputo Agreement for peace, reconciliation and disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants. The aim is to contribute to a peaceful future, free of military hostilities between the country’s government and the former guerrilla group Renamo.
Sida also cooperates with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), which provides technical expertise in the peace process.
Sida has supported research through the country’s largest university Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Mozambique since 1978. Back then, there was almost no indigenous research at the university. Today, the majority of full-time academic staff are Mozambicans.
Despite this tremendous development, access to quality higher education and research remains a major challenge.
Sida supports the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) and its collaboration with Swedish and South African universities. The national research capacity is strengthened and improves Mozambique’s ability to plan, produce and use research for poverty reduction. Over the years, research capacity has been built and in 2023 and 2024, 100 Mozambicans are expected to graduate with a PhD under Sida’s support to research.
The focus is on research collaborations and postgraduate education, master’s programmes, improving the research environment and strengthening research leaders. The assistance also supports research and innovation projects through the National Research Fund (NRF) to build up the Department of Research and Innovation with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Strategy for Sweden’s development cooperation with Mozambique 2022 – 2026 is currently only available in Swedish
Sida’s humanitarian support in Mozambique is based on an annual crisis analysis and is channelled to the humanitarian organisations in the country best able to reach the people most in need.
Updated: November 24, 2023