18^th October 2001.

UNESCO Chair in Marine Sciences and Oceanography at the Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.

To build teaching and research capacity for Marine Sciences within the country; and to promote a multidisciplinary approach to marine resources management within Mozambique and the region.

Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Maputo, Mozambique.

The Chair was established in March 1999 as a follow-up to the Pan-African Congress on Sustainable Integrated Coastal Management (PACSICOM, July 1998).

UEM: Faculty of Sciences; Ministry of Higher Education; Institute for Fisheries Research; National Institute for Hydrography and Navigation; National Institute of Meteorology; Unit for Coastal Zone Management; University of Bergen, Norway; University of Gothenburg, Sweden; University of Wales in Bangor, United Kingdom; University of Cape Town, South Africa; Swedish International Development Agency / Swedish Agency for Research Co-operation with Developing Countries (SIDA/SAREC); International Union for the Conservation of Nature-Maputo office; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Coastal Regions and Small Islands platform (CSI).

Dr. Antonio Mubango Hoguane, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, P.O. Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique.
Tel: 258-1-493377, 258-1-493102, 258-82-315286, 
Fax: 258-493377, 258-1-493049
e-mail: hoguane@hotmail.com

Chair Co-ordinator: Senior Lecturer, Dr. Antonio Hoguane, UEM.  (A professor has not been employed to hold the Chair).

The activities have focused on education, training, research, networking, and workshops/seminars/conferences.

Education Activities:  

(1)

There had never been a formal course in Marine Sciences in Mozambique until August 2001, when a B.Sc. Degree course in Oceanography was established. The Chair has worked together with the other departments to review the syllabus for the modules on Physical Oceanography, Fluid Dynamics, Marine Chemistry, Marine Geology and Marine Biology.

(2)

The Chair has participated actively in developing curricula for Oceanography and Meteorology, and as a result B.Sc. Honours degrees have been established in Oceanography and in Meteorology, in the Department of Physics.

(3)

A proposal for establishing an MSc course in Environmental Sciences focusing on the management of coastal and marine resources, is being developed within the Faculty of Sciences, with full involvement of the Chair.

(4)

The Chair has supported and assisted several B.Sc. students in their theses, as well as M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.

Training Activities

(1)

The Chair has supported students on oceanographic training cruises in 1999 on the ‘FSR African’, a South African research vessel.

(2)

The Chair has also supported students to attend courses on Oceanographic Data Management.

Research Activities

(1)

Support to the UNESCO-CSI field project on ‘Development-conservation strategies for integrated coastal management, Maputaland, South Africa and Mozambique’. This has included research aimed at the identification of the main environmental issues and problems that could hamper sustainable development in Maputo Bay.

(2)

Research in coastal zone management has been supported by the Chair, mainly through students’ theses.  The research has covered the following areas:

• Currents and pollution dispersion in Maputo Bay,

• Waves and erosion at Costa do Sol beach,

• Salt intrusion in Incomati River,

• Circulation and water masses in Maputo Bay,

• Zambezi runoff and shrimp abundance,

• Modelling the ecosystem dynamics in Mozambique Channel.

Networking Activities

(1)

The Chair operates a link with the University of Wales, Bangor, UK, sponsored by the British Council. The purpose is to build capacity through joint research projects, these have included surveys in Maputo Bay, and designing the syllabus for the degree course in Meteorology and Oceanography.

(2)

A similar link has been established with the University of Bergen to promote staff development through joint research.  Research through this link focused on environmental factors influencing the productivity of prawns in Sofala Bank, and modelling the ecosystem of the Mozambican Channel.  This link also assisted in setting the syllabus for the degree courses in Meteorology and Oceanography.

(3)

A link with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has been established within the SIDA/SAREC funded bi-lateral programme, to establish an MSc course at the UEM and to supporting Ph.D. training.

(4)

The Chair participates in the ‘Indian Ocean Rim - Association for Regional Co-operation’, a threefold association of Government representatives, Academic forum and Business forum, which promotes co-operation between the Indian Ocean Rim member states.

Workshops/Seminars/Conferences

(1)

The Chair organised a workshop in May-June 2000 on ‘Contributions to Coastal Zone Management in Mozambique’ jointly with the UNESCO Chair of Man and Environment of the UEM and the Coastal Zone Management Centre of The Netherlands. The main objective was to discuss case studies and issues of coastal zone management in Mozambique.

(2)

A seminar on ‘The II National Seminar on Coastal Research’ was held in Maputo in September 2000, organised jointly by the Chair and the Centre of Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Environment. Its main objective was to bring together scientists and managers to discuss the role of scientific research in coastal and marine resources management and the means of dissemination of scientific result. Priority areas and themes for research were identified during the discussions. The proceedings are under preparation.

(3)

The Chair Co-ordinator has participated in several other national and regional meetings.

(1)

Four B.Sc. students have been supported, three M.Sc. students, two Ph.D. students, and three scientists.

(2)

Curricula have been developed for B.Sc. Honours degrees in Oceanography and in Meteorology. These courses started in August 2001 with over 30 students each.

(3)

The UEM is now the second university in the region with a degree course in Oceanography, the other is the Cape Town University.  The UEM course focuses on Coastal Oceanography, while the Cape Town degree course emphasises Deep-Sea Oceanography.  The two courses are complementary and cooperation is being developed between the two. While the UEM course is open to students from the region, language is a constraint for some students. 

(4)

The activities of the Chair have contributed to raising awareness on the importance of the Marine Sciences in marine and coastal zone management. The impact of the Chair can be seen through the following actions:

• The UEM is considering the field of Marine Sciences, and particularly Coastal Zone Management, as a priority area.

• The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology is studying the possibility of having a representative of Marine and Coastal Zone Management in the National Council of Science and Technology.

• The Government of the Province of Zambezi has requested the University to help establish an Educational/Research Centre of Marine Affairs in that province.

• The Chair co-ordinator has been invited to address several workshops/seminars.

The Chair will continue its activities for building capacity for teaching and promoting applied research for the sustainable exploitation of coastal and marine resources at the national level, and at the same time it will strengthen its involvement in the region. Some of the activities foreseen in the near future are as follows:

• Participate in the teaching and consolidation of the recently established degree courses in oceanography and meteorology;

• Make the Oceanography course at the UEM available to students from the region especially from African Portuguese-speaking countries;

• Develop a curriculum for an M.Sc. course in Marine Sciences/Applied Oceanography;

• Support and supervise B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. students;

• Support applied research in coastal zone management.

• Establish a laboratory for teaching and research in Ocean Sciences;

• Establish an Internet connection in the office;

• Prepare a Web page for the Chair.