In Mozambique, native forests cover 43 percent of the country. Miombo Woodland is a large part of this covering, distinguished by its variety of tree species spanning tropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands. Although the Miombo remains relatively intact, deforestation and forest degradation are increasing due to small-scale agriculture, charcoal production, and timber exploitation. Forests play a critical role in the country's social, environmental, and economic well-being, and their loss threatens ecosystems and rural livelihoods that depend on the forest for sustenance. The World Bank has been working with the Mozambique Government to protect the Miombo for over a decade and has supported the government in achieving an international agreement with major Miombo Forests countries.  

To support the protection of Miombo Forest in Mozambique, PROGREEN is facilitating the implementation of measures to reduce deforestation through integrated land use management and adopting climate-smart agriculture approaches. The country knowledge program will focus on identifying the drivers of deforestation in the Zambezia province, supporting the establishment and coordination of a regional initiative to protect the Miombo Forest, and assessing the potential for climate-smart agriculture to increase the resilience of food systems. 
  

In July 2023, Mozambique hosted the "First Regional Technical Committee for the Maputo Forest Initiative," commonly known as the Maputo Declaration. The workshop was a significant milestone, bringing together representatives from ten countries, international organizations, and local stakeholders to align on a robust governance model for operationalizing the Technical Committee of the Maputo Declaration.