Preparatory mission to Mozambique for the launch of the project “Rescuing Ibo Island’s historic architectural heritage”

Rescuing Ibo Ilsands’s historic architectural heritage form the impact of jihadist terrorism in Northern Mozambique

Location: Ila do Ibo, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique 

Implementing partners

Università di Siena, Siena, Italy

Universidad Edoardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique 

Archeo and Tech Survey, Grosseto, Italy

Fondación Ibo  

Budget: 138,000 USD

Donor: Aliph 

Duration: 12 months

SUMMARY 

Ibo Island is located in the province of Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique. Founded in 1761 by the Portuguese colonizers, then capital of Northern Mozambique, Vila do Ibo is the key cultural heritage feature of the potential WH site of the Quirimbas Archipelago. The conservation of this unique historical and architectural heritage, already menaced by environmental adverse factors (i.e., Cyclone Kenneth in 2019), is currently seriously hindered by the ongoing conflict in Mozambique, which is producing political instability and extreme volatility of security conditions in Cabo Delgado. The terrorist attacks that have been occurring since October 2017 already affected about 160,000 people in the districts where local jihadist groups of Al-Sunna Wa Jama’a settled. 

Overall objective of the proposed action is to provide support to the Mozambican Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the safeguarding of historic Vila do Ibo, through the achievement of the following specific objectives/outcomes: 

1. Documentation, damage assessment and evaluation for the historic urban area of Vila do Ibo through drone inspections and field-based surveys are carried out; 

2. Emergency conservation measures at the most damaged historic buildings identified during the survey are implemented;

3. A Rehabilitation and Conservation Plan of the historic area of Vila do Ibo is prepared and submitted to the local authorities; 

4. Capacities of the two key Mozambican partners about methodological and practical know- how for emergency conservation are reinforced. 

The planned project activities are 

1. UAV inspection and field-based survey:

2. Emergency conservation measures

3. Development of a Rehabilitation and Conservation Plan

Partners on the project are Archi.Media Trust Onlus, lead applicant, which availing of the expertise of Prof. Stefano Campana from the University of Siena, the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Maputo, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

M&E will accompany all the activities implemented in Mozambique and home-based. The visibility will be ensured through the publication and distribution of the project results.

The duration of the project is estimated in 12 months, for the implementation of activities.

The project is implemented by the Italian non-profit organization ARCHI.MEDIA TRUST, in close cooperation with the University Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, the University of Siena, and Fondaciòn Ibo. 

The project is supported by the International  Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH)