Deadline: 30-Aug-21
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Mozambique, USAID/Mozambique, is issuing this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to invite participants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), co-create, co-design, co-invest, and collaborate to pilot new and innovative approaches that provide actionable solutions to the most pressing obstacles and challenges to improve the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems, particularly engaging young people to increase their productive participation in sustainably managing natural resources while building sustainable food and fisheries systems, and building climate resilient, diversified, and economically viable livelihoods.
The youth in these coastal communities are particularly at risk, and will help shape the future of these communities and the natural systems. There is both an urgent need and a great opportunity to increase youth’s leadership and participation in sustainable natural resource management, food systems, livelihoods, the local and regional economy, and society in general.
Data and initial field research shows the following as some of the many problems faced by local communities:
- Significant increases in the number of fishers along the coast from Pemba to Maganja da Costa. While some innovations, such as no-catch zones and periodic closed fishing periods provide evidence of success, the sustainability of these efforts remains a challenge.
- Even with innovations, the overall number of current fishers using existing practices appears to be unsustainable.
- With livelihood challenges, populations are increasingly drawing on natural resources in at least three negative ways: using poor agricultural lands and depleting the soil quality of marginal coastal lands; removing coastal forests and mangroves; and, destroying coral and marine ecosystems through harmful fishing practices (especially widespread use of fishing nets for coastal dredging).
- Internally displaced people moving into the region, particularly in Nampula, are putting additional pressure on land and marine resources.
- The number of jobs has reduced drastically in coastal areas, particularly in coastal Nampula and Pebane in Zambezia. Over the past few years, several cashew and other processing factories have closed from Memba to Moma, laying off roughly 12,000 employees.
- The area south of Pemba and north of Maganja da Costa is lined with mining concessions, particularly (but not limited) to heavy sands. The benefits of this mining for communities appears to be highly variable depending on the operator.
- Perceived sense of disempowerment and inequality, particularly for the youth. There is a lack of opportunities/forums for youth to participate in civic life and to have influence over their future.
- Need for greater access to financial services.
- Large number of local institutions, such as mosques and civil society organizations, have the potential to further engage on development challenges.
- Youth lack good skills, access to resources, and information on improved livelihood opportunities (if/when they exist).
- Increased frequency and intensity of climate shocks, such as flooding and droughts, and slower onset climate stresses, such as increased temperatures and ocean warming, making new and existing challenges worse.
Challenges
Innovative approaches will be critical to improve the resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems, particularly for engaging young people to increase their productive participation in sustainable natural resource management, food systems, livelihoods, and society. Proposed solutions and activities should be replicable, scalable, sustainable, and account for the need to eventually transfer related infrastructure, operations, and management to the Mozambique government, communities, private sector, or other local stakeholders. Flexibility in modifying solutions and activities to respond to changes in the country context, as well as align with USAID/Mozambique and Government of Mozambique development objectives and other donor activities, is key to the success of the innovation transfer process.
USAID/Mozambique is seeking to develop and test new and innovative approaches that will accelerate progress towards actionable solutions for individuals, enterprises, and communities in coastal regions south of Pemba and north of Maganja da Costa to improve resilience and healthy ecosystems. Particular areas of focus include:
- Conserve coastal and marine ecosystems (e.g., mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs) and important fish habitats to support improved climate resilience, fisheries management, food security, sustainable livelihoods, and the conservation of high biodiversity areas;
- Expand diversified, equitable economic growth in the face of climate change to create real, significant employment and livelihood opportunities, particularly for youth and women, to benefit the entire community.
- Support youth, as leaders and change agents, to collaborate with government, civil society, and the private sector to sustainably manage natural resources and more equitably adapt, mitigate and respond to shocks and stresses.
These challenges should be addressed through a combination of strategic approaches that:
- Build on local capacity, working across a mix of public, private, civil society, and religious institution stakeholders, and focused on scalability and sustainability.
- Increase the resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate change, potentially through demand driven climate information and services.
- Recognize the movement, particularly of youth, between Cabo Delgado and the rest of Northern Mozambique, with a focus on reducing vulnerability to recruitment into extremist activities.
- At least part of the coastal and marine ecosystems activities should focus on reducing threats to the ecosystem in high biodiversity areas.
- Learn from the success or challenges from other development investments.
- Leverage the private sector and other sources of investment for employment and income generation through sustainable livelihood approaches.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible Applicant: Public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations, as well as institutions of higher education, public international organizations, non-governmental organizations, U.S. and non-U.S. government organizations, multilateral and international donor organizations are eligible under this BAA, unless otherwise stated in the individual BAA Addendum. All organizations must be determined to be responsive to the BAA and sufficiently responsible to perform or participate in the final award type.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334893