On 9 September, the official launch of the CAMBIO programme – Climate and Environmental Action in Mozambique through the Integration of Coastal Cities’ Response Plans – will take place in Pemba, Mozambique. The programme is funded by the Italian Cooperation and implemented by AVSI, with a total budget of two million euros.
The launch is part of the second mission of the Sistema Italia to Cabo Delgado Province, led by the Ambassador of Italy to Mozambique, Gabriele Annis, with the participation of the Head of the AICS Maputo Office, Dr Fabio Strinati, and the President of the Mozambique-Italy Chamber of Commerce, Dr Simone Santi. The mission aims to further strengthen the presence and commitment of Sistema Italia in Cabo Delgado, promoting greater cooperation with local institutions, communities and the private sector.
The programme is implemented by a consortium of partners led by AVSI, in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, Lúrio University (UniLúrio), E35 – Foundation for International Project Design, and FACE, with the involvement of the Municipalities of Pemba, Ibo and Beira.
CAMBIO’s main objective is to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and natural disasters in the cities of Pemba and Beira and on Ibo Island, territories that are particularly exposed to the effects of extreme weather events.
The initiative will invest in prevention, urban planning and capacity building for local institutions and communities.
A key component of the programme will be the development of Urban Climate Change Resilience Plans, designed to support local authorities in identifying the main climate-related risks and defining concrete prevention, adaptation and response measures.
Through this approach, CAMBIO aims to contribute to making Mozambique’s coastal cities better prepared to respond to the effects of climate change, while promoting sustainable and inclusive urban management.
The initiative complements the ECOBLU project, also funded by the Italian Cooperation and launched during the first Sistema Italia mission in November 2025. ECOBLU promotes the sustainable management of marine and coastal resources on Ibo Island and the creation of employment opportunities through the blue economy.
According to Ambassador Annis, “Cabo Delgado is a territory of particular importance for Italy, where the presence of major Italian companies, such as Eni, goes hand in hand with the growing commitment of the Italian Cooperation to the sustainable development of the Province. The launch of the CAMBIO programme represents a further concrete step in this commitment and in our determination to work alongside local institutions and communities, contributing to making the territory more resilient, sustainable and better equipped to address the challenges posed by climate change.”
For his part, the Head of the AICS Maputo Office, Dr Fabio Strinati, stressed: “Cabo Delgado is a strategic Province for the Italian Cooperation. The launch of CAMBIO further strengthens our commitment to this territory and the promotion of sustainable fishing and the blue economy through ECOBLU. With CAMBIO, we are now also strengthening our support to local communities and institutions in addressing the challenges posed by climate change.”