Empowering Communities: The Rise of ReGeCom in Mozambique’s Conservation Landscape
Kiragu Mwangi – ILCN Regional Representative for Africa
José Monteiro — Executive Director, ReGeCom
In February 2018, a cross-sector group of leaders gathered in Maputo, Mozambique. They had come together around mounting concerns that communities were being left out of land conservation at both the decision-making and implementation level. There, at the 5th Conference on Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), ReGeCom was born. Six years later, the organization has created a framework that embeds unity and inclusivity in Mozambique’s formal conservation work. Its impact has also spilled over into neighboring nations.
ReGeCom is a collective that uses a network model to promote CBNRM in three main ways. (1) Strengthening systems of community governance, (2) developing the legal framework for community management of natural resources, and (3) building institutional capacity and information management systems. It is guided by a vision of communities taking charge of sustainably managing their own land and natural resources and a mission to propel the effective development of CBNRM across Mozambique.
In 2024, ReGeCom has several dozen member organizations representing domestic and international NGOs and government and academic institutions. Its working landscape includes four target areas and supports 23 communities, according to its 2024-2028 Strategic Plan.
The organization has a three-tier operating structure. A general assembly brings together member organizations to hear and validate decisions collectively. That assembly is overseen by a Board of Directors, and an Executive Directorate takes care of administrative intricacies to free network members to execute agreed-upon activities, standards, and protocols.
Membership is pivotal to ReGeCom and is rooted in communal alignment with the organization’s vision, mission, and geographic relevance. Members share values of humility, adaptability, diversity, and collaboration and operate at the intersection of conservation and community development.
In 2024, ReGeCom has made measurable progress toward its goals. It has established 35 community-based institutions; secured community land rights on 150,000 hectares of land; trained 376 community members—40 percent of whom are women—in governance and natural resource management; and developed 12 community-based land use plans.
Community governance is central to ReGeCom’s intervention strategy and serves as the linchpin for flagship programs and projects on diverse landscapes. It also prioritizes risk mitigation and remains true to its foundational values by carefully adhering to internal protocols.
While the collective’s values are integral to successful and ethical conservation, they are unique in Mozambique. ReGeCom is a leader in gender equity, resiliency, social cohesion, and community support strategies. It maintains and improves these tactics through regular working groups, meetings, and learning sessions that serve as avenues for knowledge exchange.
Though ReGeCom is focused on Mozambique, its success has attracted international partners, such as the South African Community Leaders Network. It has also earned funding from a variety of donors.
As ReGeCom progresses it will continue to scale efforts to secure land tenure and institutional governance systems in communities, with a focus on those surrounding Protected Areas. It also aims to play a strong role in establishing national standards to support CBRNM. To achieve its potential, the organization knows it must continue to improve. Its current strategic plan includes a detailed exploration of its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats of the context within which it is working.
ReGeCom’s journey and trajectory embody the harmonious integration of conservation imperatives and community aspirations, fostering a sustainable future where empowered communities emerge as the custodians of their natural heritage.
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