Monte Mabu, in Mozambique’s Zambezia Province, renowned for its high concentration of rare species and for hosting more than 200 butterfly species, has begun to benefit from community-based legal protection in an area of 9,341 hectares.
The creation by the Mozambican Government of the Monte Mabu Community Conservation Area, formalized since the end of August, involves protecting one of southern Africa’s areas with the highest biodiversity, internationally known as the Butterfly Forest for the abundance of rare and endemic species, which has been revealed internationally for more than a decade by British naturalist David Attenborough.
The new protected area, established by order of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, as reported by Lusa, covers 9,341 hectares in the Lugela district and will be managed by local communities, through a Community Management Council, in a model that seeks to balance conservation of nature with economic development based on the sustainable use of natural resources.
According to the decree, the area is intended for “protection, conservation and exploitation of natural resources by local communities, promoting improved living conditions through the sustainable use of natural resources.”
Monte Mabu became internationally known after scientific expeditions revealed the wealth of fauna and flora, including dozens of species previously unknown to science.
Known as the Butterfly Forest, it is a mountain about 1,700 metres high. It earned the nickname following the disclosure of a seasonal aggregation phenomenon of hundreds of butterflies at the summit for reproduction, documented in 2013 by Attenborough.
Among the scientific discoveries associated with Monte Mabu are the butterfly ‘Iolaus mabuensis’, described for the first time from specimens collected in the area, as well as the viper ‘Atheris mabuensis’, an endemic species identified in 2009.
Monte Mabu is considered one of the region’s most important biodiversity refuges, housing the largest continuous block of remaining mid-altitude humid forest in southern Africa. The rugged terrain and the mountain’s relative isolation have favored the evolution of unique species over millions of years.
The proposal, which predated the creation of the conservation area, notes that the main current threats are the expansion of small-scale agriculture and timber harvesting, although the forest remains relatively preserved thanks to the protection exerted by local communities, who traditionally regard the area as sacred.
The decree, which created the Monte Mabu Community Conservation Area, establishes that management will be ensured by a Community Management Council, determines the preparation of a participatory management plan to define the zone and the rules for the use of natural resources, with exploitation of these resources subject to licenses.
It provides that any activity must respect the conservation objectives that justified the creation of the area, and the same Ministry is charged with monitoring and capacity-building the communities involved in the management of the territory.
