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The report finds that Mozambique's 'Current Path' is not viable, as the country is likely to miss most of its National Development Strategy (2023-2043) targets and see an increase in extreme poverty by 2043 despite gas megaproject revenues. To achieve inclusive growth, the authors recommend an integrated development push focusing on governance transparency, agricultural productivity, economic diversification, and human capital. Specific climate-related recommendations include investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, such as solar-powered irrigation, and adopting ecosystem-based approaches like wetland restoration to protect rural communities from floods and land degradation.

The document is a formal reporting form for the PURE Rural Mozambique Climate Project, detailing the environmental and social safeguards (ESS) category and the disclosure of impact assessments and management plans.

Following the October 2024 elections, Mozambique has faced significant instability characterized by alleged vote rigging and a violent state crackdown. The ruling Frelimo party has maintained power through the suppression of dissent, including the killing of opposition members and journalists, and the strategic appointment of 'secretaries of state' to bypass decentralization. This domestic crisis has disrupted critical regional trade corridors, specifically the Maputo and Beira ports, affecting landlocked neighbors like Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia. The document argues that Frelimo's loss of legitimacy mirrors a broader trend across Southern Africa where former liberation movements are facing declining public support.

The research paper asserts that while the 2024 general elections sparked unrest, the primary drivers of protest in Mozambique are declining living standards, high youth unemployment, and systemic corruption under the Frelimo party. It highlights a rise in poverty from 46% to 65% over the last decade and the lasting impact of the $2.2 billion hidden debt scandal. The author notes a shift in public action, with citizens increasingly protesting against private sector entities, such as Kenmare, TotalEnergies, and Desheng Port, over land rights and infrastructure failures. The paper concludes that stability requires a genuine dialogue including opposition figure Venâncio Mondlane, warning that continued instability could disrupt regional trade via Maputo Port.

The 2025 City Profiling Report for Cape Town describes a city with strong institutional governance and high service delivery standards relative to other SADC cities, yet one plagued by deep structural inequality and chronic traffic congestion. While the city maintains a clean audit record and high human development indices, it faces significant challenges in youth unemployment, informal settlement growth, and climate vulnerability, particularly regarding water scarcity and fire risk.

Dar es Salaam is one of Africa's fastest-growing cities and Tanzania's economic hub, though it faces significant challenges in infrastructure and governance. While the city's GDP is growing and it leads the country in startups and telecommunications, it is characterized by high levels of informality, with 70% of the population living in informal settlements. Public services such as water, sanitation, and waste management are underperforming, and the city is highly vulnerable to flooding and urban heat. Governance is heavily centralized, with local authorities relying on the national government for approximately 75% to 90% of their revenue, severely limiting their fiscal autonomy and ability to address local needs.

The report compares 10 SADC cities, revealing stark disparities in economic wealth and infrastructure. While South African cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town are the wealthiest, they face high inequality and unemployment. Most other cities are characterized by high proportions of informal housing (60-86%) and a heavy reliance on national parastatals for engineered services. Sanitation remains the most critical service gap, with sewered sanitation being rare outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Local government finance varies wildly, with some cities relying heavily on national transfers while others, particularly in Zimbabwe, receive no transfers despite high service obligations.

The Harare City Profiling Report 2025 details the challenges facing Zimbabwe's capital, characterized by rapid informal urban growth, severe infrastructure decay, and a strained relationship between the opposition-led city council and the national government. While Harare serves as the country's economic hub, it suffers from critical gaps in water, sanitation, and waste management, with a significant portion of the population living in informal settlements. The report highlights a severe fiscal crisis where the city relies almost entirely on its own limited revenue sources while facing low payment compliance and high levels of non-revenue water.

The report provides a comprehensive profile of Luanda, highlighting its rapid population growth, extreme economic inequality, and a highly centralised governance structure. While the city has benefited from oil wealth, significant service delivery gaps persist, particularly in housing, water, and sanitation for those in informal settlements. The report notes that Luanda is one of the most congested cities globally and faces increasing climate risks, including flooding and sea-level rise.

The Maputo metropolitan area, with a population of 2.9 million, serves as Mozambique's primary economic and political hub but faces significant challenges in service delivery and infrastructure. While the city shows economic growth and improving health indices, it is characterized by high levels of informal settlements, inadequate sanitation, and a fragmented local government system with limited functional autonomy. Key infrastructure projects like the Maputo-Katembe bridge have improved connectivity, but the region remains one of the poorest primary cities in the SADC region, with a heavy reliance on charcoal for cooking and a high prevalence of waterborne diseases among children.

The document argues that financial institutions should cease support for the Mozambique LNG project due to severe human rights violations, political instability, and resettlement failures. It highlights reports of a 2021 massacre of civilians by security forces linked to the project and describes a climate of state repression and electoral violence in Mozambique. The authors call for an independent international investigation by bodies such as the OHCHR and demand that financiers withhold further funding until accountability is established.

Friends of the Earth International calls for an end to state violence and repression in Mozambique following the October 9 elections, which opposition parties and observers claim were fraudulent. The organization links the current social unrest and high poverty rates—affecting 73% of the population—to IMF-imposed neoliberal policies and the export of wealth from fossil fuel and mining projects. It demands an inquiry into police killings, the restoration of internet and movement freedoms, and a transition toward a development model based on environmental, social, and gender justice.

Friends of the Earth International expresses solidarity with the people of Mozambique following elections on October 9, which opposition parties and observers describe as fraudulent. The organization denounces the brutal state repression of protests, which has resulted in at least 34 confirmed deaths and the use of live ammunition by police, particularly in Maputo. The statement links this political instability to deep poverty—affecting 73% of the population—and the exploitation of natural resources by transnational companies in collusion with political elites. It demands an end to state violence, the investigation of killings, the restoration of internet and expression freedoms, and a transition toward an equitable development model that respects the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples.

Friends of the Earth International expresses solidarity with Mozambicans protesting fraudulent elections and state repression. The organization links the current social unrest to systemic poverty and inequality driven by neoliberal policies, IMF-imposed measures, and the extraction of natural resources by multinationals. It demands an end to police violence, accountability for killings, and a transition toward an equitable development model that respects the rights of local and indigenous populations.

The report finds that Mozambique lacks a functional, dedicated regulatory framework for protecting traditional knowledge associated with biological resources, though it possesses a fragmented system of biodiversity, forestry, and intellectual property laws. While Decree 19/2007 serves as the primary instrument for access and benefit-sharing (ABS), its implementation has been hindered by resource constraints and a lack of political impetus. The document highlights a current review of this decree and the potential for a new traditional knowledge database to address existing gaps. It also identifies significant barriers to community-led protection, including high poverty levels, weak community institutions, and a widespread lack of legal awareness among local populations.

The Maputo Floating Thermoelectric Power Plant Project, a partnership between Karpower and Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), proposes a 415MW natural gas-powered floating station in the Espírito Santo Estuary. The project includes a 4km transmission line and a 3km gas pipeline. Potential risks include the degradation of mangrove ecosystems, loss of livelihoods for artisanal fishers in Matola, Katembe, and Maputo city, and increased respiratory diseases due to reduced air quality. The document highlights the risk of 'locking-in' to costly fossil fuel agreements that could crowd out renewable energy alternatives. It also notes Karpower's controversial track record in South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, and Brazil, including allegations of environmental racism and human rights violations.

The Maputo Manifesto 2024, issued following the 4th African Conference on Debt and Development, calls for a radical shift toward a feminist lens on debt and development in Africa. It highlights how rising debt servicing costs—which increased by 132% between 2010 and 2021—crowd out essential spending on health and education, disproportionately impacting women who comprise nearly 90% of Africa's informal employment. The document advocates for debt cancellation, the dismantling of patriarchal and neocolonial financial structures, and the implementation of gender-sensitive budgeting to ensure social justice and economic autonomy for the continent.

The report analyzes Mozambique's development prospects through 2043 using the International Futures (IFs) modeling platform. It finds that under the current trajectory, Mozambique is unlikely to meet most of its national development goals due to governance failures, infrastructure gaps, and low agricultural productivity. While liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects are expected to boost GDP, they are not projected to significantly reduce extreme poverty without broader structural reforms. The report evaluates eight sectoral scenarios, concluding that infrastructure investment has the highest impact on GDP growth, while a combined approach across all sectors—including agriculture, governance, and trade—offers the most substantial improvements in poverty reduction and per capita income.

The document explores the 'care economy'—the system of paid and unpaid activities that sustain human life—tracing its roots from the 1970s Wages for Housework movement to modern policy frameworks like the 3R/5R models. It critiques neoliberal 'human capital' approaches that view care primarily as a tool for economic growth and highlights how care in the Global South differs from the Global North due to the prevalence of non-capitalist production and infrastructure gaps. The paper concludes that the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the systemic fragility of care structures and the tokenistic nature of 'essential worker' labels, calling for a transformative justice approach to care.

The report assesses community involvement in marine and coastal EbA within SADC countries, finding that while robust legal frameworks exist, practical implementation is often hindered by a lack of technical capacity, financial resources, and clear mechanisms for engagement. It highlights the importance of autonomous community adaptation, the disproportionate vulnerability of women, and the critical role of NGOs in bridging gaps between governments and local populations.