Niassa

Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique is a critically important conservation area renowned for its vast wilderness and globally significant wildlife populations. Spanning over 40,000 square kilometers, Niassa harbors the country’s largest populations of threatened megafauna and encompasses one of the most extensive tracts of carbon-sequestering miombo woodland remaining on the continent. With towering inselbergs that likely harbor hundreds of endemics, rising up from the depths of the landscape, this remains one of Africa’s largest contiguous wilderness areas. The Reserve is an active sacred site for the Yao and is home to over 60,000 people in the Reserve and its Buffer Zone. Our goal is to foster harmonious coexistence between communities and wildlife while promoting sustainable use of natural resources. We do this by enhancing local capacity, supporting community-led governance, encouraging a thriving green economy, and investing in the well-being of local communities.