Mozambique is a country in southern Africa with a 2,500 km coastline along the Indian Ocean. The country has abundant natural resources both onshore and offshore. North of the Zambezi River, Mozambique’s landscape includes inland hills and low plateaus, followed by rugged highlands further west. South of the Zambezi are mainly lowlands, while the far south is marked by the Lebombo Mountains. Mozambique has an altitude-dependent tropical climate with a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. The country is frequently exposed to cyclones during the wet season, while droughts occur regularly, often every three to four years (World Bank Group, 2023).  As one of the poorest countries in the world and among those most affected by natural disasters – many of which are linked to climate change (UNDP, n.d.) – Mozambique ranks as the seventh most at-risk country globally (World Risk Index, 2023). 

Since 1960, average annual temperatures have increased by about 0.9°C and are projected to rise by a further 1°C in the next 20 years (GRID Geneva, n.d.).  Over the same period, overall rainfall has declined by 3.1 percent per decade, while the proportion of days with heavy rainfall has increased by 2.6 percent per decade (ibid.).  These trends have contributed to catastrophic flooding, destroying crops, homes, and infrastructure, and causing significant loss of life. Climate change is expected to increase both the frequency and severity of droughts and floods in Mozambique, with severe consequences for the 70 percent of the population living in rural areas and relying on rain-fed subsistence farming (World Bank Group, 2023).  Overall, climate change is projected to exacerbate the natural hazards to which Mozambique is already highly exposed (ibid.). 

According to GRID Geneva (n.d.), Mozambique has developed appropriate policies and initiatives to address climate risks. However, institutional, financial, technical, and capacity-related constraints continue to limit their effective implementation.