Given the recent boom in the exploration of natural resources in Mozambique over the past decade, with a concurrent rapid increase in negative environmental and social impacts, there is an urgent need to find ways to harmonize economic development with the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. This is particularly important as Mozambique has nationally and internationally committed to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development efforts, by adhering to the Sustainable Development Goals, Aichi targets, Convention on Biological Diversity, RAMSAR Convention, Gaborone Convention, and including natural resources and environment in its 5-year Plan. A key avenue to address this is the adoption of a policy on No Net Loss of biodiversity, including the use of biodiversity offsets.

Biodiversity offsets are “measurable conservation outcomes resulting from actions designed to compensate for significant residual adverse biodiversity impacts arising from project development after appropriate prevention and mitigation measures have been taken. The goal of biodiversity offsets is to achieve no net loss and preferably a net gain of biodiversity on the ground.”