With a population of just 5,000 inhabitants, the Bazaruto archipelago residents themselves do not generate much waste but are susceptible to the marine litter that washes up on their beaches. We are working with African Parks to develop a bespoke waste management solution to help capture this plastic waste and prevent it from leaking back into the environment.
Bazaruto, Mozambique
Basisa Bazaruto
Basisa Bazaruto, which means Clean Bazaruto, is our project in partnership with African Parks. Nestled on Mozambique’s southern coastline, the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park is home to over 2,000 marine species, including the last viable population of dugongs in the Western Indian Ocean.
Benguerra Island, Mozambique: A group of newly-hired waste pickers transport plastic waste collected from the island to collection points for processing.
Benguerra Island, Mozambique: A group of newly-hired waste pickers transport plastic waste collected from the island to collection points for processing.
Overview
Location
Bazaruto, Mozambique
Partner
African Parks
Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique: Bazaruto is home to the last viable population of dugongs in the Western Indian Ocean.
Protecting wildlife from marine litter
Together, we have created the Basisa Bazaruto, or Clean Bazaruto, initiative, which includes purchasing a boat aptly named ‘Lundo’ to ferry the collected waste from newly-constructed collection points on the island to the mainland for processing. ‘Lundo’ is the local name for parrotfish whose feeding activity is important for protecting and maintaining reef-building corals in the local biomes.
A small but mighty crew of 50 waste pickers—newly-created jobs for the island residents—go island to island to collect this ocean-bound plastic waste. They are on track to collect about 100 tons of plastic waste by the end of 2021.
However, recycling this ocean waste has proved a challenge, as the plastic waste is often contaminated, making it hard to sell to conventional recyclers. The team is hard at work designing plans to recycle the waste themselves, developing planks or bricks which the park can then use to build necessary infrastructure, like pavements or lodges for park visitors.
Bazaruto, Mozambique: The Bazaruto Archipelago National Park spans 5 islands, 1,400 km², and is home to over 2,000 marine species.
Benguerra Island, Mozambique: Waste pickers scour the white sandy beaches on the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago in search of marine litter that washes up on its shores. This way, plastic waste is prevented from leaking back into the ocean habitats.
Benguerra Island, Mozambique: Judite Huo is one of the new waste collectors hired through the Basisa Bazaruto initiative and is now not only able to have a stable income stream, but can also help protect her home.
Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique: Skippers with the Basisa Bazaruto project ferry collected marine litter from the 5 islands that make up the Bazaruto Archipelago to mainland Mozambique for processing.
“In the past, there was a lot of waste on the island. But now, things are changing. My perspective on waste has changed. Through proper sorting and recycling, I can turn waste into a resource.”
Judite Huo, Waste Collector, Basisa Bazaruto
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