Attachments
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Mozambique’s vulnerability to climate change is a function of its location and geography: large areas of the country are exposed to tropical cyclones, droughts (every three to four years) and river/coastal storm surge flooding. This vulnerability is heightened by the country’s 2,470 km of coastline and socioeconomic fragility. More than 60 percent of the population lives in low-lying coastal areas, where intense storms from the Indian Ocean and sea level rise put infrastructure, coastal agriculture, key ecosystems and fisheries at risk. Although migration to urban areas is rising, two-thirds of the population still resides in rural areas with limited access to electricity, improved drinking water and sanitation. Forty-five percent of the population lives below the poverty line and 70 percent depends on climate-sensitive agricultural production for their food and livelihoods. Increased frequency and severity of intense storms, droughts and floods are likely to exacerbate these development challenges. For example, El Niño conditions in 2015–2016 caused the worst drought in 35 years, reducing food availability by 15 percent. Food insecurity caused by the drought worsened in 2017 with Cyclone Dineo, which damaged crops and destroyed infrastructure. (1, 2, 5, 14, 21)