Blog by Werner Myburgh, Peace Parks Foundation CEO about the ongoing journey of Maputo National Park – Now a World Heritage Site
The story of Maputo National Park, now recognised as a World Heritage Site, is one that I have had the privilege of being part of for many years. I witnessed and actively participated in its transformation from a post-conflict landscape into a thriving conservation area that includes Africa’s first cross-border marine reserve.
A complicated beginning
The history of the park is long and complicated. In 1932, it was initially declared a Special Reserve, offering special protection status to the unique coastal elephant population. When Peace Parks Foundation became involved in 2006, the Reserve however existed largely on paper. Years of civil unrest had taken their toll, and at the time we estimated that as many as 10,000 cattle were roaming freely inside the demarcated boundaries of the unfenced Reserve.
A landscape under siege
After sixteen years of civil war, which claimed one million lives and displaced four million people, conservation systems had been deeply eroded. By 2006, the Reserve faced an uncertain future, and its very existence was at risk. There were only five wildlife species left. The last remaining elephants had learned to emerge from the thick coastal forests only at night to forage, a survival strategy that helped them endure the war. The freshwater lakes system provided refuge for remnant crocodile and hippo populations. The other two species that we observed were reedbuck and the elusive red duiker, but in low numbers. It was a beautiful landscape, but the absence of wildlife was a stark reminder of the importance of peace as a foundation for prosperity and hope. The adjacent marine area faced similar challenges, with no formal protection status, the coral reefs and especially the nesting turtles were very vulnerable.
A powerful partnership heralds a new beginning
To augment their strong response to this situation, the Government of Mozambique signed a technical and financial support agreement with Peace Parks and invited us to help mobilise resources to bolster both their terrestrial and marine conservation efforts.
By 2009, the tide was beginning to turn with the first two major wins. Firstly, the Government proclaimed the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve after an 18-month consultation with local communities, where a shared vision was developed to zone the coastline and adjacent waters into multiple-use areas, specific-use areas, and no-use fish sanctuaries. The result: a 678 km2 marine reserve proclaimed where a new lease of life was given to endangered species such as dugongs, sea turtles, whale sharks, and humpback whales, as well as extensive coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Importantly, for the first time, communities also had a sustainable source of fish, as they benefited from sanctuaries that consistently replenished the adjacent fishing zones.
Secondly, the Futi Corridor was officially proclaimed as an extension of the Reserve to protect the elephants we had tracked moving along the Futi River to South Africa, a route that would soon have been cut off without formal protection.
Building local leadership and trust
Enforcing protections for wildlife and marine life proved challenging. Early efforts by rangers were met with resistance, as not everyone supported the restoration of the Reserve or the introduction and enforcement of fishing quotas. We quickly realised that we needed someone who really understood the people and the landscape. This led to the appointment of Miguel Gonçalves as park warden. Under his honest and fearless leadership, the relationships with the communities began to see significant improvements. Importantly, access to natural resources within the Reserve was never restricted without offering alternatives. Even today, nearby communities continue to have fishing rights in the Reserve’s freshwater lakes.
Tackling the livestock challenge and supporting communities
Yet livestock still moved freely through the park. When we spoke with communities, it became clear why: there was limited permanent access to water available outside its boundaries. This was a problem that could be solved. With government approval, and support from MozBio and the COmON Foundation, we began sinking boreholes. 16,000 people and their livestock were provided with potable water outside of the Reserve. We then received a very generous donation from the Dutch Postcode Lottery, which we used to fence the entire park including the corridor to South Africa, keeping stray cattle out and restricting the movement of elephants into the adjacent community areas and their crops.
Extensive community programmes were run in parallel, supporting food security, sustainable fishing, livelihoods, conservation agriculture, education and health interventions. Currently, 35,190 people are benefiting from these initiatives with the latest programme being implemented with support from the Blue Action Fund and implementing partners Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
Infrastructure, marine protection and rewilding
Together with Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), we embarked on major infrastructure projects. Roads were graded and entrance gates were built with funding received from the World Bank. Staff and ranger accommodations were constructed at the main gate. Marine ranger outposts and the marine reserve headquarters were constructed with the generous support of the Turing Foundation.
Starting from 2010, we began bringing back wildlife, releasing it slowly. Over the past 15 years, we have introduced 5,388 animals, including eleven species that had become locally extinct. Today, the park is teeming with wildlife and the latest census conducted in 2024 counted over 15,000 head of game animals. If you visit the park today and stand on any of the high dunes overlooking the vast grassland plains, you can see herds of wildebeest, zebra, reedbuck and buffalo.
What was fascinating to observe is how quickly the marine life rebounded. Today, the largest recorded annual congregation of Giant Trevally (Kingfish) in the world occurs in Maputo National Park. We also now know that 80% of all nesting turtles along Mozambique’s 2,800-kilometre coastline occur within this 80-kilometre stretch of protected coast.
A new era: national park status
In 2018, the Government of Mozambique signed a 15-year co-management agreement with Peace Parks that accelerated development. After three years of consultation and planning, Maputo Special Reserve and Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve were formally combined in 2021 to create a single, integrated terrestrial-marine conservation area: Maputo National Park. Today, the Park spans 1,794 km² of formally protected and successfully restored coastal and inland ecosystems.
Investing in tourism
Once wildlife and marine life began to flourish, interest from the private sector grew. Today, three tourist lodges are operational, ranging from two to four stars, and a variety of exclusive campsites have been opened. Peace Parks mobilised funding from Hansjörg Wyss and the Reinet Foundation to construct a much-needed, mid-level 80-bed tourism facility: Ponta Membene, which was inaugurated by the former President of Mozambique in 2024. We continue to invest in tourism and other income-generating activities to help the park become fully self-sustaining.
The road ahead
From a sustainability perspective, the journey continues. We need to generate a minimum of USD 2 million annually before the park can sustain itself and the Park is not close to breaking even, but we’re getting there.
It has been a long road, with many obstacles and setbacks, but every step so far has been worth it. If you go there now – and I really hope you do – you’ll find a vibrant national park. Animals are getting used to visitors and probably the biggest testament of success, you can now see an elephant, in the day, and they are not threatened by your presence. If you then turn the other way and watch whales gliding through the ocean, you know that you are in a special place. It’s a meeting point of Africa’s giants. And it’s beautiful. We’re incredibly proud of this World Heritage Site recognition and excited about the next chapter on this journey of restoring a lost paradise, where people and nature not only co-exist, but thrive.
