Sep 22, 2026 |
A new mini film shows how sustainable forestry is changing lives in Catapu, a 26 500 hectare reserve north of Gorongosa.
This short film travels through the little known forest reserve in central Mozambique to show how the sustainable use of timber is strengthening local communities and helping to protect one of the country's best preserved forests, according to the description released by Gorongosa National Park.
Catapu is not a conventional conservation area but a working forestry concession. According to Gorongosa National Park, the reserve lies 30 kilometres south of Caia, bisected by National Highway One, and employs more than a hundred people from neighbouring communities. The operation has become part of the group of companies linked to Gorongosa.
The model rests on making use of what the forest has already dropped. The same source says the team carries a portable saw into the bush, allowing fallen trees and dead wood to be turned into furniture and craft pieces, avoiding the transport of tonnes of logs along Mozambique's roads.
Part of the output goes to woodcrafters and wood turners, mainly in the United Kingdom, and the tools of the trade include improvisations that say a great deal about the place, such as chisels made from the iron of old wildlife traps.
The balance between cutting and replacement is the concession's central argument. Also according to Gorongosa National Park, four trees are planted for every fallen tree used and, with an estimated survival rate of 50 per cent, the practical outcome is two growing trees for every one removed.
Timber from the concession supplies a furniture brand manufactured entirely within the country. According to TCT Dalmann, every piece is made in Mozambique by Mozambican carpenters, from timber out of the Catapu concession itself, in Sofala province, with panga panga and mutondo the main woods used.
Mozambique's forestry sector is preparing for new certification rules. The new interim forest management standard for Mozambique came into effect on 15 March this year and applies to all forest management units in the country.
Foto: e vídeo: Parque Nacional da Gorogosa
