Mozambique, a country highly vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as cyclones, floods, and droughts, continues to experience severe socio-economic impacts from these recurrent events. The agriculture sector, which contributes about 24.3 percent to the national GDP and employs over 70 percent of the labor force, remains particularly at risk. The 2023/24 El Niño-induced droughts highlighted this fragility, causing significant crop losses, including nearly 720,000 tonnes of maize valued at approximately USD 349 million. Combined with ongoing conflicts in the north, these events have worsened food insecurity, with projections indicating that up to 3.3 million people could face severe acute food insecurity between October 2024 and March 2025.
In response, the Government of Mozambique, through the National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) and the National Directorate of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries (MAAP), partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to conduct a five-day training program in Maputo from 15 to 19 December 2025. The training focused on the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) methodology and introduced FAO’s Damage and Loss (D&L) approach for the agricultural sector. Its goal was to enhance national and sectoral capacities to assess post-disaster impacts, estimate damages and losses, and develop data-driven recovery strategies for crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries/aquaculture.
The program emphasized hands-on learning and collaboration, equipping participants with skills to estimate damages, losses, and recovery needs while integrating cross-cutting issues such as gender, environment, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. Sessions explored baseline data, adaptation of PDNA tools to Mozambique’s context, and the launch of draft sectoral guidelines for agriculture. The training highlighted how FAO’s D&L methodology complements PDNA to support effective recovery planning.
Over 110 technical staff from key government institutions, including INGD, CENOE, DPC, MAAP, DINAG, DNP, DARIDAS, and SETSAN, participated in the training. UN agencies and development partners involved in post-disaster recovery also joined, promoting a coordinated and harmonized approach. Leadership from figures such as Rita de Almeida, Head of Planning and Cooperation at INGD, and Ana Cristina Manuel, Head of CENOE, underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening national disaster preparedness and response capacities.
The initiative also positions Mozambique to better access international climate funds, including the Funds for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), which support vulnerable developing countries in addressing irreversible climate impacts through locally driven initiatives. Enhanced capacities in loss and damage assessment will enable stronger applications for resources to mitigate extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and other climate-related shocks.
Participants gained a deeper understanding of PDNA and D&L methodologies, improved data readiness, and draft sectoral guidelines tailored to Mozambique’s agricultural needs. These outcomes are expected to strengthen coordination among stakeholders, ensuring resilient recovery and long-term development planning. FAO continues to support the Government of Mozambique in building climate resilience, using evidence from the 2024 El Niño impact assessment to inform targeted interventions, safeguard livelihoods, improve agricultural productivity, and promote sustainable development in the face of increasing climate risks.
