Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa

The research paper examines how climate change threatens Mozambique's economic development, specifically within agriculture, tourism, and public health. It highlights the country's high vulnerability due to its geography and poverty, noting that frequent natural disasters undermine progress toward Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the government has established a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), implementation is hindered by resource constraints. The paper also identifies potential opportunities through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and hydropower exports to South Africa.

• Mozambique is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geography, featuring 2,700 kilometres of low-lying coastline and the discharge of several major international rivers, including the Zambezi, Limpopo, and Rovuma, which often lead to widespread flooding.
• Natural disasters have increased in frequency and severity, with 50% of tropical cyclones, 55% of droughts, and 58% of floods occurring between 2000 and 2009.
• Climate change threatens the agricultural sector, which employs 78.5% of the workforce and accounts for 25.2% of GDP; predictions suggest Mozambique may be among the African countries to lose cereal production potential by 2080.
• The tourism sector faces risks from sea-level rise causing coastal erosion, coral bleaching from temperature rises, and potential decreases in long-haul arrivals due to climate regulations on air travel and shipping.
• Public health is compromised by the destruction of infrastructure and the increased incidence of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria, which threatens the achievement of health-related MDGs by 2014.
• International trade is threatened by supply-side production variability and demand-side concerns in the EU and US regarding 'food miles' (GHG emissions from transporting agricultural exports).
• The government's National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), completed in 2004, remains largely unimplemented due to a lack of human, financial, and management resources.
• Mozambique has limited engagement with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), having only one project by January 2009, but may benefit from exporting hydropower to South Africa if the latter is forced to cap carbon emissions.

APA

Biacuana, G. (2009). Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_biacuana_climate_change_challenges_for_mozambique_20091026.pdf

Chicago

Biacuana, Gilberto. Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_biacuana_climate_change_challenges_for_mozambique_20091026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Biacuana |first1=Gilberto |title=Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=26 October 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_biacuana_climate_change_challenges_for_mozambique_20091026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{biacuana2009climate, author = {Biacuana, Gilberto}, title = {{Climate Change and Trade: The Challenges for Southern Africa}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dttp_biacuana_climate_change_challenges_for_mozambique_20091026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }