Information and Communications Warning System on Wildland Fire in Mozambique

This technical paper assesses the potential for establishing an information and communication early warning system for wildland fires in Mozambique, specifically focusing on the Buzi District of Sofala Province. It identifies significant gaps in interagency coordination and the dissemination of satellite fire data, while recommending a holistic approach that integrates national-level technical systems with community-based fire management (CBFiM).

• Wildland fire frequency in Mozambique has increased significantly, with estimates suggesting nearly all forests in the central and northern regions burn at least once annually. This is a sharp increase from a previous southern African return cycle of approximately 12 years.
• The rise in fire frequency is attributed to population growth, increased demand for land and income, and the erosion of traditional land-use management systems caused by political changes.
• Mozambique lacks clear institutional arrangements and systematic interagency coordination for fire management, despite the existence of the 2007 national Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Wildfire.
• Fire information collection is highly centralized and underutilized; at the national level, the Ministry of Agriculture's Forest Inventory Unit is the primary user of Web Fire Mapper Services, but this data is not systematically analyzed or disseminated to provincial and district levels.
• At the community level, fire is often viewed as a normal land management tool rather than a problem, which hinders the reporting of fire occurrences to authorities.
• The report recommends establishing a national Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) using synoptic weather data from 20 existing weather stations, which could help the National Institute for Disaster Management define readiness criteria for disasters.
• To improve local fire management, the author suggests piloting 'cold' or early burning programs to reintroduce traditional knowledge of low-intensity fires, which can reduce wildfire hazards and support livelihoods.
• The report proposes that community-based fire management (CBFiM) should be integrated into a broader community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) framework to provide the necessary land tenure security and incentives for local participation.
• The author recommends the creation of a National Fire Forum to serve as a platform for improving coordination between various government and non-governmental agencies.

APA

Hoffmann, A. A. (2009). Information and Communications Warning System on Wildland Fire in Mozambique. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/mozambique_fire_warning_system.pdf

Chicago

Hoffmann, Anja A. Information and Communications Warning System on Wildland Fire in Mozambique. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/mozambique_fire_warning_system.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hoffmann |first1=Anja A. |title=Information and Communications Warning System on Wildland Fire in Mozambique |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/mozambique_fire_warning_system.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{homann2009information, author = {Hoffmann, Anja A.}, title = {{Information and Communications Warning System on Wildland Fire in Mozambique}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/mozambique_fire_warning_system.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }