Atlas · Mozambique
/
Reports
ATLAS REPORT
Country report: Mozambique
Generated 15 October 2026, 12:23 from live Atlas data
EditPrint / PDF
Executive summary
Atlas holds 2,544,532 mapped features and 63,398 observations in 91 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 306,827 ha in 24,899 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.170 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 95.2% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 24,899 | 306,827.3 | 100.0% | 12.32 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Mozambique | 30,731 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Mozambique | 22,182 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Mozambique | 22,564 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Mozambique | 24,422 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Mozambique | 23,246 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Mozambique | 30,693 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Mozambique | 24,899 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Mozambique | 21,945 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Mozambique | 18,287 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Mozambique | 19,141 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Mozambique | 18,919 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Mozambique | 17,265 | 0 | 100 |
| Mozambique +EEZ | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Niassa NR | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Ramsar Site | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Coastal East Africa | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Coastal East Africa Marine | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| polygons | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Mozambique +EEZ | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Niassa NR | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Ramsar Site | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| National_Parks | 3 | 0 | 95 |
| Oil and Gas Basins | 4 | 0 | 95 |
| Basins_KAZA | 4 | 0 | 95 |
| polygons | 4 | 0 | 95 |
| Corridors | 6 | 0 | 95 |
| EAC_MZQ_ForestProgramme_Countries | 8 | 0 | 95 |
| Regions/Provinces | 9 | 1 | 95 |
| flr_9 | 9 | 0 | 95 |
| polygons | 11 | 0 | 95 |
| Cities/Municipalities | 12 | 0 | 95 |
| Biodiversity Hotspots | 12 | 0 | 95 |
| Cities/Municipalities | 12 | 0 | 95 |
| FLRi Countries | 13 | 0 | 95 |
| FLRi Countries | 13 | 0 | 95 |
| polygons | 17 | 0 | 95 |
| Basin | 20 | 1 | 95 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| Development Corridors | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| Demography (FB AI- 2018) | 45 | 0 | 95 |
| SADC_TFCAs | 56 | 1 | 95 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 6) | 59 | 7 | 95 |
| Districts/Counties | 61 | 3 | 95 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | 70 | 10 | 95 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | 70 | 10 | 95 |
| Operational Landscape | 79 | 13 | 95 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | 96 | 16 | 95 |
| basins_names_hydroshed | 113 | 7 | 95 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Join_Features_to_Countries_RFP | 152 | 0 | 95 |
| Mining concessions in Mozambique (2010) | 180 | 0 | 95 |
| Major Rivers | 211 | 0 | 95 |
| Major Rivers | 211 | 0 | 95 |
| Rivers | 228 | 0 | 95 |
| Main Roads | 413 | 0 | 95 |
| ProtectedAreas_AfricaPriorityLandscapes | 492 | 4 | 95 |
| Administration (Level 2) | 495 | 1 | 95 |
| Administration (Level 2) | 495 | 1 | 95 |
| Wards | 564 | 5 | 95 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 8) | 580 | 7 | 95 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | 642 | 0 | 95 |
| AfricaPriority_River | 857 | 0 | 95 |
| urt_catchments | 1,484 | 18 | 95 |
| Main Roads | 1,598 | 0 | 95 |
| Small airport | 1,979 | 0 | 95 |
| Dams | 2,586 | 0 | 95 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 10) | 2,696 | 10 | 95 |
| Roads | 4,946 | 0 | 95 |
| Districts | 6,099 | 13 | 95 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | 7,438 | 1 | 95 |
| urt_basin | 7,740 | 5 | 95 |
| Rivers | 8,997 | 0 | 95 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | 9,759 | 0 | 95 |
| Wetlands/Swamps | 12,039 | 0 | 95 |
| Fire Incidences Grid (2000-2019) | 14,692 | 0 | 95 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU SF-Score | 14,692 | 0 | 95 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU Status | 14,692 | 0 | 95 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU SF-Score | 14,692 | 0 | 95 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU Status | 14,692 | 0 | 95 |
| LULC 2010 NAFORMA | 16,871 | 1,259 | 95 |
| Divisions | 17,649 | 9 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | 25,791 | 17 | 95 |
| lulc_2015_naforma | 33,435 | 0 | 95 |
| Carbon projects: Mozambique | 14 | 0 | 90 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): Mozambique | 179 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Mozambique | 13 | 0 | 90 |
| LULC 2025 BAU Min. Scenario | 181,238 | 3,341 | 95 |
| LULC 2025 GE Scenario | 329,368 | 8,517 | 95 |
| LULC 2025 BAU Max. Scenario | 525,756 | 7,959 | 95 |
| FB-AI-Population Distribution | 969,481 | 0 | 95 |
Recommendations
High 6 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Salt Marsh, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Wildlife & Habitats, Farming & Livelihoods, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 76 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
42.0% of the 24,899 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 95.2% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Medium Net loss of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 324,693 ha of mangrove in Mozambique in 1996 and 311,268 ha in 2025: a net loss of 13,425 ha (-4.1%), about 463 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Action: Overlay consecutive epochs to locate where the losses occurred and check them against pressures such as clearing, ports and aquaculture.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 30,731 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 22,182 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 22,564 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 24,422 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 23,246 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 30,693 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 24,899 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 21,945 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 18,287 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 19,141 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 18,919 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Mozambique | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 17,265 |
| Mozambique +EEZ | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Niassa NR | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Ramsar Site | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Coastal East Africa | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Coastal East Africa Marine | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Mozambique +EEZ | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Niassa NR | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Ramsar Site | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| National_Parks | WWF Kenya | 3 |
| Oil and Gas Basins | WWF Kenya | 4 |
| Basins_KAZA | WWF Kenya | 4 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 4 |
| Corridors | WWF Kenya | 6 |
| EAC_MZQ_ForestProgramme_Countries | WWF Kenya | 8 |
| Regions/Provinces | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| flr_9 | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 11 |
| Cities/Municipalities | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| Biodiversity Hotspots | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| Cities/Municipalities | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| FLRi Countries | WWF Kenya | 13 |
| FLRi Countries | WWF Kenya | 13 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 17 |
| Basin | WWF Kenya | 20 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| Development Corridors | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| Demography (FB AI- 2018) | WWF Kenya | 45 |
| SADC_TFCAs | WWF Kenya | 56 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 6) | WWF Kenya | 59 |
| Districts/Counties | WWF Kenya | 61 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | WWF Kenya | 70 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | WWF Kenya | 70 |
| Operational Landscape | WWF Kenya | 79 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | WWF Kenya | 96 |
| basins_names_hydroshed | WWF Kenya | 113 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Join_Features_to_Countries_RFP | WWF Kenya | 152 |
| Mining concessions in Mozambique (2010) | WWF Kenya | 180 |
| Major Rivers | WWF Kenya | 211 |
| Major Rivers | WWF Kenya | 211 |
| Rivers | WWF Kenya | 228 |
| Main Roads | WWF Kenya | 413 |
| ProtectedAreas_AfricaPriorityLandscapes | WWF Kenya | 492 |
| Administration (Level 2) | WWF Kenya | 495 |
| Administration (Level 2) | WWF Kenya | 495 |
| Wards | WWF Kenya | 564 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 8) | WWF Kenya | 580 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | WWF Kenya | 642 |
| AfricaPriority_River | WWF Kenya | 857 |
| urt_catchments | WWF Kenya | 1,484 |
| Main Roads | WWF Kenya | 1,598 |
| Small airport | WWF Kenya | 1,979 |
| Dams | WWF Kenya | 2,586 |
| Basin (Hydroshed Level 10) | WWF Kenya | 2,696 |
| Roads | WWF Kenya | 4,946 |
| Districts | WWF Kenya | 6,099 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 7,438 |
| urt_basin | WWF Kenya | 7,740 |
| Rivers | WWF Kenya | 8,997 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | WWF Kenya | 9,759 |
| Wetlands/Swamps | WWF Kenya | 12,039 |
| Fire Incidences Grid (2000-2019) | WWF Kenya | 14,692 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU SF-Score | WWF Kenya | 14,692 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU Status | WWF Kenya | 14,692 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU SF-Score | WWF Kenya | 14,692 |
| MARXAN-CRUZ PU Status | WWF Kenya | 14,692 |
| LULC 2010 NAFORMA | WWF Kenya | 16,871 |
| Divisions | WWF Kenya | 17,649 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | WWF Kenya | 25,791 |
| lulc_2015_naforma | WWF Kenya | 33,435 |
| Carbon projects: Mozambique | Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley | 14 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): Mozambique | UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT | 179 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Mozambique | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 13 |
| LULC 2025 BAU Min. Scenario | WWF Kenya | 181,238 |
| LULC 2025 GE Scenario | WWF Kenya | 329,368 |
| LULC 2025 BAU Max. Scenario | WWF Kenya | 525,756 |
| FB-AI-Population Distribution | WWF Kenya | 969,481 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.