IUCN Mozambique designed and started implementing the Knowledge Hubs with the MTA. The Knowledge Hibs, transversal to all IUCN´s projects in Mozambique, and installed in partnership with MTA and local Governments, in Government premisses, are a knowledge center to share IUCN´s website in portuguese as well as a deposit of manuals, knowledge tools and courses (e.g. ACADEMY) to scale-up the number of beneficiaries that may access conservation tools, while also to expand IUCN outreach, with a focus on those in rural areas and on women and youth.

Having a set of manuals and tools (e.g. NBS, OECMs, mangrove restoration, etc) from IUCN, complimented with tailored manuals for projects and communities in Mozambique, uploaded to a web platform, allows the youth and the communities in general, from conservation and buffer areas, as well as from coastal areas where IUCN operates, to have a systematic and open access to knowledge, resulting in a sustainable empowerment and transforming them in full fledge conservation and adaptation actors.

The knowledge hubs are a cost-efficient training tool as they are based on existing facilities and only dependant on a web and internet capacity. As possible, the knowledge program includes physical community exchange as well as in-person training of trainers.

Applicable knowledge solutions deployed to teams were the Blue Training in Practise, that trained over 20 professors and MTA staff, in mainstreaming coastal and marine management into local development plans and projects, as a  long-term cross-sectoral process on integration across biodiversity, climate and development plans; the training on the application of nature based solutions into local activities, which included the translation of IUCN course and manual into portuguese, allowing all to access the online official training and certified course.

The Knowledge Hubs, installed as open public spaces, have motivated other development and conservation actors to join and support with a diversity of in-kind and financial support, hence the knowledge hubs also play the partnerships and awareness raising role.

Playing the role of a membership union, of which the Government of Mozambique is a partner, was the guiding principle for IUCN´s intervention. Mozambique hosts key IUCN members, such as Peace Parks Foundation, WCS, WWF as well as it is a beneficiary of the EU funded PANORAMA program. This was the basis for IUCN to assess interest and possible engagement and support to a knowledge and information sharing platform such as the Dialogue Platform.

Together with the Ministry of Land and Environment, via ANAC, Cooperation and Climate Change Directorates, IUCN initiated the approach to members as well as to local organisation and local governments, as a means to identify key thematic areas and key policy guidelines that were important to be discussed and obtain streamlined approaches and manuals and that required conservation and environment actors' engagement and agreement. 

The first edition of the Dialogue Platform was a success as it provide the floor to an open dialogue with Government on key biodiversity and conservation aspects as well as it was the forum where nationwide actors were able to meet and jointly appreciate best ways to work and to apply development funds. The first event also accommodated SOMN´s mangroves champion awards, which were jointly delivered by IUCN representative, the German Embassy representative and the MTA Permanent Secretary.

Important therefore to add that as partnerships play a key role to build joint voices and influence improved policy decisions, including those related to mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystems based adaptation into ALL development projects, this activity further contributed to ensure that the key principles and priorities were shared and the voice is kept alive as the Dialogue maintains its activities, unfolded into thematic and specific sub themes such as land uses and concorrencial land uses. 

The process was based on (a) IUCN´s membership network and other conservation partners and (b) IUCN as a Government reliable partner. This basis allowed IUCN to mobilise and engage the network of conservation and environment actors around the government counterparts and openly discuss challenges and opportunities to scale-up interventions via a coordinated and complimentary approach. The Paris Declaration on aid efficiency was a tool to discuss how development aid is organised, and its use contribute also to inform participants on the flow of aid fluxes and how impact needs to be officially reported as a manner to show the good work of conservation and environment actors.

The process further designed a calendar of thematic events under the Environment umbrella, such us use of PNDT and MSP/POEM as a basis to design ecosystems based local development plans, derived from another IUCN´s support, and the evaluation and response to concorrencial uses of conservation and buffer areas. by doing it, IUCN supports Government in continuing its open dialogue with partners and actors, contributing to participation and good governance.

Underlying these activities is IUCN´s systematic dialogue with Government, providing the floor for trust and reliability to enhance IUCN´s role and impact on policy design and public participation.

Cross-cutting partnerships were the basis for the glocal achievement. Initially, in partnership with the World Bank, partner that supported the development of the documents and agreed with IUCN that as the WB was phasing out IUCN could/should continue with the process as a reliable partner - this included co-funding one staff member for 6 months so the staff member could represent both entities until document development closure. Then by partnering with WWF and WCS, for their direct contribution with biodiversity data for the PNDT and the MSP - with a focus on WCS and the National Biodiversity database that was fully integrated in the above referred documents. Partnerships extended to all planning and conservation partners by maintaining a continuous information sharing system to ensure streamlined knowledge, support, understanding and engagement.

The principal partnership to be refer reports again to the Government. Good governance and policy making in a country is the Government's role and mandate. For policies to be improved or adopt it requires Government decision. And it requires also a transparent, reliable and efficient dialogue and capacities from the contributing partner. And this is where IUCN delivered at its best and expanded this engagement to its members.

The process was the key pilar for all the development to materialise. The process includes first to ensure the existence of qualitative data and the capacity to demonstrate its importance for the local to national context - which was the case for mangroves in the spatial and development planning, PNDT, given its impact on coastal livelihoods, climate adaptation and possible avenues for blue carbon credits. Once the data is available, it is required to present it to IUCN´s partners and members, as a means to create a supportive alliance and to obtain a streamlined public voice towards the decision makers. The process then continues by establishing and maintain an open, trustable and technically sound dialogue with policy makers and their technical teams. As a transversal basis, it is equally necessary to understand how governance and policy and legal frameworks are developed and implemented, to ensure that the contribution to the policies, even if not as one would expect it to be, it is appliable and adopted. Joint monitoring and continued IUCN´s support ensures qualitative implementation and adjustments as and where needed, having in mind that often its application and implementation may require budgets that are not available - but is to be remarked that conservation and adaptation, although globally defended and supported need to be at the forefront of Governance planning in order for the budgets to be available and co-financed by development partners.

Mangrove Knowledge and related scientific data were the entry point to inform planners and decision makers of the socio-economic importance of mangroves, from community income to coastal adaptation. Via SOMN studies on the country´s mangrove uses and the Global Mangrove Alliance data, IUCN established first a common voice with members and key conservation actors (WWF, WCS, Centro Terra Viva, BIOFUND, ABIODES and Government institutions) on mangrove advocacy. IUCN and SOMN further contributed to the elaboration and approval of the National Mangrove Strategy, where goals, approaches and restoration principles were approved by Government and partners.

With this as a basis, it was upscaled to the national strategies, namely the National Territorial Development Plan, which leads development with a sustainability and biodiversity vision and where a full Mozambique biodiversity wealth is mapped. Mangroves being a part of it, it allows local governments and local top community to conservation areas to be able to identify hotspots for conservation and key priority areas for restoration. It further provides geographic and quantitative information to let conservation actors and NGOs to easily identify and monitor progress, for their conservation interventions.

Building Block 5 focuses on the provision of various bamboo trainings by Forests4Future to support different aspects of the bamboo value chain in their intervention zone. These trainings are essential as enabling factors for the success and sustainability of the bamboo-related activities undertaken by the project. Forests4Future provides both financial and technical assistance in organizing and implementing these trainings. Since the start of the project, Forests4Future has conducted multiple bamboo trainings tailored to specific needs, for example:

1. Bamboo propagation: Trainings on bamboo propagation are provided to tree nurseries to ensure the successful propagation of bamboo seedlings for plantation establishment.
2. Bamboo plantation/stand management and harvesting: These trainings cover various aspects of bamboo plantation management, including planting techniques, maintenance practices, pest and disease management, and sustainable harvesting methods.
3. Bamboo preservation treatment: This training is essential for bamboo processing units to learn proper techniques for treating bamboo with chemical, hot water and cold water treatments and harvesting time consideration to reduce insect susceptibility of bamboo culm.           
   (...)       

By offering these diverse trainings, Forests4Future aims to build the capacity and skills of local stakeholders involved in the bamboo value chain. This contributes to improved productivity, product quality, and overall sustainability of bamboo-related activities. Moreover, these trainings empower local communities to actively participate in and benefit from the economic and environmental benefits of bamboo.

Building Block 4 focuses on the establishment and support of bamboo processing small and medium enterprises (SME) by Forests4Future in the intervention zone. The primary purpose of establishing such enterprise is to create associated business opportunities that focus on sustainable income generation and job creation for the local community. Raw bamboo material is predominantly sourced from local farmers in the area, including those supported by the project as detailed in Building Block 2. These units process raw bamboo material into valuable products, with a focus on furniture such as chairs, tables, beds, shelves, and various kitchen items. One significant success factor is the preservative treatment of bamboo against insects, ensuring product durability and quality. Additionally, bamboo products are affordable for the wider group of community, making items like wooden beds, which would otherwise be expensive, accessible. This affordability has clear benefits for the local population. Moreover, bamboo serves as an alternative or substitute for timber, reducing the pressure on natural forests in the area. By promoting the use of bamboo as a sustainable resource, the bamboo processing units contribute to environmental conservation and resource utilization efficiency. 

Building Block 3 discusses the use of bamboo raw material and products for gully rehabilitation, integrating the eco-hydrological concept implemented by Forests4Future. This low-cost erosion protection measure has been successfully piloted and upscaled. Next to selling bamboo raw material to local processing units (PU) as described in Building Block 2, it can also be utilized to construct gully restoration measures. These infrastructure units consist of a series of semipermeable wooden barriers placed in erosion gullies in consideration of the water flow direction and intensity, forming a surface run-off regulating system that sequentially controls the flow of surface water. This unit plays a crucial role in regulating key hydrological parameters such as flow concentration and velocity, which in turn regulate hydro-logical and biological processes like runoff and infiltration. By mitigating erosion in gullies, these measures contribute to long-term gully restoration efforts. This technique and the skills required can be easily replicated by other farmers due to its relatively straightforward construction method, making it accessible for widespread adoption.