Blue Forest, a mangrove reforestation specialist based in the United Arab Emirates, is providing a financial contribution of two million Meticais to help rebuild the infrastructure of the School of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM-ESCMC) in Quelimane, Zambézia province, after it was severely damaged by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in March 2023.

The cyclone affected more than a million people in Mozambique, causing floods, cholera outbreaks and significant damage to infrastructure.

At UEM-ESCMC, around 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students who are specializing in marine sciences are unable to continue their regular classes due to the damage caused by "Freddy" to classrooms and laboratories.

Since 2021, Blue Forest has been working closely with two organic units at UEM, namely the School of Marine and Coastal Sciences and the Marine Research and Technology Center, to design the MozBlue project.

The project focuses on restoring and protecting 140,000 hectares of mangroves at risk in 10 districts of Sofala and Zambézia provinces, in the center of the country.

"We want to support our friends and partners in Mozambique to get back on their feet after the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy. Through this investment, we hope to empower the next generation of marine scientists and make them better equipped to face the threats of climate change, including cyclones," said Vahid Fotuhi, CEO and Founder of Blue Forest.

The Chuabo Dembe Amphitheater, which can accommodate 120 students, is the first infrastructure to be rebuilt as part of this project. Blue Forest and UEM-ESCMC are working together to ensure that the construction teams incorporate cyclone-resistant construction procedures, so that the roof and infrastructure are more resistant to the impacts of future climate disasters.

Avelino Langa, Director of UEM-ESCMC, added: "UEM-ESCMC is grateful for this noble gesture by Blue Forest and recognizes science and environmental education as important tools to overcome the harmful effects caused by climate change, currently characterized by more intense tropical cyclones such as 'Freddy'.

The benefits of rebuilding ESCMC's infrastructure, with the support of Blue Forest, will serve not only the school, but also the wider community. Our hope is that the more scientists are trained, the greater their contribution to the restoration and protection of mangroves in
Mozambique".