The water
Bottled water along the coast; malaria prevention matters. Tap water: Not drinkable.
Mozambique
The Bazaruto Archipelago, home to one of East Africa's last viable dugong populations.
RegionAfricaCurrencyMZNPowerType C/D/M, 230VTap waterNot drinkable
Good
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Most households depend on their own farming, growing cassava, maize, rice, beans, coconut, cashew and peanuts, so the country is strongly agricultural even where food insecurity persists. Rice and wheat are imported, but everyday…Read more
Most households depend on their own farming, growing cassava, maize, rice, beans, coconut, cashew and peanuts, so the country is strongly agricultural even where food insecurity persists. Rice and wheat are imported, but everyday staples are produced locally.
Local staples
Cassava and maize xima, rice, beans, coconut, cashew, peanuts, matapa (cassava leaves) and seafood.
Markets
Daily informal markets (mercados) in every town, largest at weekends.
In season
Main harvest April to June after the November to March rains, cashew October to December.
Wildlife
Mozambique holds iconic African megafauna alongside the Bazaruto Archipelago's dugongs, one of the last viable populations in East Africa, plus whale sharks, humpback whales and coral reefs offshore. Gorongosa's recovering…Read more
Mozambique holds iconic African megafauna alongside the Bazaruto Archipelago's dugongs, one of the last viable populations in East Africa, plus whale sharks, humpback whales and coral reefs offshore. Gorongosa's recovering wildlife makes it a flagship for active rewilding.
Found nowhere else
Bazaruto dugongs, coastal and Rift-linked species, and Gorongosa's recovering fauna.
Natural phenomena
Dry May–Oct, cyclone risk Nov–Apr along the coast.
When to go
The cool dry season.
Getting around
Chapas (minibuses) and long-distance buses, light aircraft to the archipelagos and a 4x4 in the north.
Good to know
Cash-heavy; MZN. Cards in Maputo only.
Safety
Solo female travel: Take care. LGBTQ+: Mixed.
Only hereThe Bazaruto Archipelago, home to one of East Africa's last viable dugong populations.
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
63/100
Good
The Eco Index: Mozambique
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Bazaruto Archipelago, home to one of East Africa's last viable dugong populations.
- Forest cover
- 45.8%
- Land protected
- 29.5%
- Sea protected
- 2.15%
- Organic farmland
- 0.03%
- Found nowhere else
- Bazaruto dugongs, coastal and Rift-linked species, and Gorongosa's recovering fauna.
- Renewable power
- 84%
- CO2 per person
- 0.25 t (2024) t
- Cleanest air
- The offshore islands and the northern coast.
- Water from
- Bottled water along the coast; malaria prevention matters.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 63.4%
- Cleanest water
- The Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos.
- In season
- Main harvest April to June after the November to March rains, cashew October to December.
- Plastic ban
- Charge on plastic bags since February 2016, with moves toward a fuller ban.
- Watch out for
- Heavy-sand mining, the Cabo Delgado gas developments and coastal charcoal and mangrove clearing.
- Solo female travel
- Take care
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Mixed
- Best months
- May to October, with whale sharks October to March on the south coast.
- Getting around
- Chapas (minibuses) and long-distance buses, light aircraft to the archipelagos and a 4x4 in the north.
- Power
- Type C/D/M, 230V
- Currency
- MZN
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 2/5 | Mozambique is crossed by major rivers including the Zambezi, Limpopo, Save and Rovuma and holds the vast Cahora Bassa reservoir, so the raw water resource is large. Full assessmentAccess and safety are the weak point, with about 63.4% of people using even a basic drinking water service (World Bank JMP, 2020) and tap water generally unsafe to drink. Floods, cyclones and droughts add further stress. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 4/5 | Most households depend on their own farming, growing cassava, maize, rice, beans, coconut, cashew and peanuts, so the country is strongly agricultural even where food insecurity persists. Full assessmentRice and wheat are imported, but everyday staples are produced locally. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 4/5 | The everyday diet is built on plants, cassava and maize xima, rice, beans, peanuts, coconut and matapa made from cassava leaves, so unprocessed plant eating is the norm rather than the exce… Full assessmenttion. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 1/5 | Certified organic farmland is about 0.03% of the total (FiBL, 2020), among the lowest shares recorded, even though most smallholder farming is low-input and agrochemical use is limited. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 4/5 | Around 29.5% of the land sits within protected areas such as Gorongosa, Niassa, Bazaruto and Quirimbas (World Bank, 2024), and Gorongosa's co-managed restoration is a landmark African rewil… Full assessmenting success. Enforcement is uneven, with heavy elephant poaching having struck Niassa, and marine cover is about 2.15% of territorial waters. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 3/5 | Mozambique holds iconic African megafauna alongside the Bazaruto Archipelago's dugongs, one of the last viable populations in East Africa, plus whale sharks, humpback whales and coral reefs… Full assessmentoffshore. Gorongosa's recovering wildlife makes it a flagship for active rewilding. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 3/5 | Living material traditions include palm and sisal weaving, coir, cotton, basketry and the vivid capulana cloth culture, all still made and used day to day. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 2/5 | A charge on plastic bags has applied since February 2016 with moves toward a fuller ban, but enforcement is weak, urban litter is common and open burning of waste is widespread. Full assessmentA national PM2.5 figure could not be verified. |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 1/5 | Formal municipal recycling is negligible, and what recovery happens is informal waste-picking around dumpsites. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 5/5 | Mozambique has one of the world's lowest carbon footprints at about 0.25 tonnes per person in 2024, and its grid is overwhelmingly renewable, with hydropower supplying roughly 83 per cent o… Full assessmentgeneration, led by the Cahora Bassa dam. Much of that clean power is exported to South Africa under long-term contracts rather than used at home, where access to electricity remains limited. The country has a National Climate Change Strategy and an NDC, and takes part in REDD+ forest programmes. Large offshore gas discoveries and new LNG export projects could raise future emissions and fossil dependence. For now it is a very low emitter on a clean, hydro-based grid. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 4/5 | Rural and coastal communities keep strong living cultures, and community-linked conservation at Gorongosa and Niassa channels real benefits to residents. Full assessmentSome island and coastal luxury tourism remains enclave-style, so benefits are uneven. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | Mozambique holds deep and widely alive heritage across its regions and coast. Full assessmentTimbila, the Chopi orchestral xylophone music of the south, is recognised by UNESCO, while marrabenta remains the country's signature urban dance music. In the north the Makonde are renowned for their carving and the masked Mapiko dance, and coastal Muslim communities keep the women's Tufo dance. Ancestral spirituality centred on ancestor veneration and the guidance of traditional healers remains a living part of everyday life. Dance, music and ancestral practice are all strongly present. |
Before you go
Cash-heavy; MZN. Cards in Maputo only.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2024 — source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2021 — source
- Low Carbon Power, Mozambique electricity mix (about 82% hydropower), 2023 — source
- World Bank JMP, People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) SH.H2O.BASW.ZS, 2020 — source
- FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture (via Organic farming by country), 2020 — source
- Wikipedia, Phase-out of lightweight plastic bags (Mozambique charge 2016) — source
- Our World in Data, CO2 emissions per capita, 2024 source
- IEA, Mozambique 2024 executive summary source
- Wikipedia, Cahora Bassa Dam source
- UNESCO, Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Mozambique holds deep and widely alive heritage across its regions and coast. Timbila, the Chopi orchestral xylophone music of the south, is recognised by UNESCO, while marrabenta remains the country's signature urban dance music. In the north the Makonde are renowned for their carving and the masked Mapiko dance, and coastal Muslim communities keep the women's Tufo dance. Ancestral spirituality centred on ancestor veneration and the guidance of traditional healers remains a living part of everyday life. Dance, music and ancestral practice are all strongly present.
- Timbila Chopi xylophone music
- marrabenta and xigubo dance music
- Makonde carving and Mapiko masked dance
- Tufo coastal dance
- ancestor veneration and traditional healing.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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