The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) considers the recovery of mangrove forests to be fundamental for adapting to climate change, the effects of cyclones and floods.

The agency is running a mangrove repopulation and conservation project under a program run by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA).

Maria Salazar, from AECID, recalled that Mozambique's vulnerability to climate change is extreme, mainly because the country has large coastal areas exposed to frequent tropical cyclones, floods, and drought.

"The Mozambican coast has a great ally in fighting floods and cyclones - the mangroves. They protect the coast with their dense root systems that act as natural buffers against storms. In addition, they provide a breeding habitat for marine biodiversity and play a crucial ecological role in fertilizing, stabilizing and regulating the microclimate," said Salazar.