In June 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (Ministério da Agricultura, Ambiente e Pescas – MAAP) of Mozambique requested support from the NCEA under the newly established Memorandum of Understanding (2025–2030). The requested support focuses on strengthening institutional capacity in environmental planning and assessment, particularly in the areas of Environmental Impact Assessment (AIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (AAE), and spatial and sectoral planning.
The NCEA has maintained a long-standing collaboration with Mozambican institutions since 1999. This new MoU builds on the two previous agreements (2012–2019) with former environment-related ministries, and formalizes a five-year cooperation framework that will include annual action planning and joint monitoring.
Late 2025, the NCEA again visited Mozambique. Our Director International signed an MoU with the Secretary of State for Land and Environment, in the presence of the Minister of MAAP, and the Deputy Minister for Cooperation of the Netherlands. The agreed actions are amongst other support for:
- Review of Environmental and Social Management Plans of the Moatize coal mining in Tete province;
- The establishment of an independent body for environmental assessment and licensing;
- Improving land use planning and SEA and for making SEA a legal instrument;
- The digitization of the environmental licensing system.
In addition, the NCEA and MAAP together with IUCN-Mozambique and the Dutch funded MozWater program's Implementing Parties co-organized a workshop under the theme ‘A new approach to River Basin Planning: Integrating with SEA and territorial plans’.
In February 2026, a new visit to Mozambique was instrumental to establish a plan of activities to support MAAP. With this plan in place, the portfolio of activities in Mozambique is growing rapidly.
The NCEA, together with the Norwegian Environment Agency, will provide SEA training to a combined team from MAAP, notably the Land Use Planning Directorate and the Provincial Government of the Maputo province. The SEA will be an integral part of the development of the provincial land use plan.
SEA for river basin planning is the second initiative that we will provide more indepth training to. The MozWater program is aiming to strengthen river basin planning practices with the integration of SEA as a move towards collaborative governance at basin level. The Netherlands' Embassy facilitated meetings with the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy. As a result, the mining sector will participate in the MozWater project.
In addition, the municipality of Beira has requested NCEA to support their drive towards environmental and social sustainability in the context of the upcoming coastal protection project.