Climate change is one of the most significant environmental and societal challenges of the twenty-first century. Its effects are expressed through changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, environmental degradation, and growing risks to human livelihoods and well-being. Mozambique is particularly vulnerable because of its exposure to floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, coastal erosion, and other climate-related hazards, as well as its limited adaptive capacity in many communities. This article aims to review the state of the art on climate change and associated environmental risks, with particular emphasis on studies conducted in Mozambique. It also seeks to identify the main theoretical approaches, research trends, and knowledge gaps in the analysis of climate variability, vulnerability, impacts, resilience, and adaptation. The study adopted a qualitative approach based on a narrative literature review of scientific articles, reports, and other relevant academic publications addressing climate change, climate variability, environmental risks, vulnerability, resilience, and Mozambique. The reviewed literature was analyzed thematically in order to identify the principal concerns, methodologies, and findings presented by previous studies. The review shows that the international literature has substantially advanced the understanding of the environmental and human consequences of climate change, particularly in relation to vulnerability, adaptation, resilience, and disaster risk. In Mozambique, however, most studies focus on the impacts of natural disasters, vulnerability assessments, resilience, adaptation strategies, and projected climate-change scenarios. Comparatively fewer studies provide robust statistical analyses of historical temperature and precipitation records to demonstrate observed climate anomalies and long-term climatic trends. This limitation reduces the empirical basis for distinguishing between climate variability and anthropogenic climate change at local and regional scales. The article concludes that future research in Mozambique should combine vulnerability and impact assessments with systematic analyses of observed climatic data, climate indices, and regional climate projections. Such an integrated approach would strengthen the scientific basis for environmental planning, risk reduction, adaptation policies, and sustainable territorial development.
| Published in | International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy (Volume 14, Issue 5) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12 |
| Page(s) | 118-130 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Climate Change, Climate Variability, Climate Risks, Extreme Events, Mozambique
| [1] | ADAM-POUPART A, LABRECHE F, SMARGIASSI A, DUGUAY P, BUSQUE M-A, Gagne C, RINTAMAKI H, KJELLSTROM T, ZAYED J. Climate change and occupational health and safety in a temperate climate: potential impacts and research priorities in Quebec. Canada. 2013. |
| [2] | ADGER W, Neil A, Maureen. New indicators of vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Norwich: Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, 2004. |
| [3] | ADGER W. N, ARNELL, N. W, TOMPKINS, E. L. Successful adaptation to climate change across scales. Glob Environ Chang Hum Policy Dimens. 2005. |
| [4] | African Development Bank Group. (2021). Climate change risks and coping strategies in Mozambique: The role of climate-resilient infrastructure. |
| [5] | Alizadeh, O. (2023). Changes in the mean and variability of temperature and precipitation over global land areas. Environmental Research: Climate, 2(3), Article 035006. |
| [6] | ARGENAL, Francisco. Variabilidad climática y cambio climático en Honduras. Tegucigalpa: PNUD, 2010. |
| [7] | ASHEEM, Srivastav. (2019). Understanding the Warming Process. 2019. |
| [8] | AYOADE, J. O. Introdução à climatologia para os trópicos. Editora Bertrand Brasil, 3ª Edição, Rio de Janeiro. 2007. |
| [9] | BARROS, Juliana Ramalho; ZAVATTINI, João Afonso. Bases conceituais em climatologia geográfica. Mercator – Revista de Geografia da UFC, Fortaleza, ano 8, n. 16, p. 255–261, out. 2009. |
| [10] | Belić, D. S. (2006). Global warming and greenhouse gases. Facta Universitatis: Series Physics, Chemistry and Technology, 4(1), 45–55. |
| [11] | BERKHOUT F. Adaptation to climate change by organizations. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Clim Chang. 2012. |
| [12] | BJURSTROM, A., POLK, M. (2011a) Climate change and interdisciplinarity: a co-citation analysis of IPCC third assessment report. Scientometrics. 2011. |
| [13] | CARVALHO, A. and Pereira, E. (2008) ‘Communicating climate change in Portugal: A critical analysis of journalism and beyond’, in A. Carvalho (ed.) Communicating Climate Change: Discourses, Mediations and Perceptions (e-book), Braga: Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade, Universidade do Minho. E-book available from: |
| [14] | COHEN, Ignacio Sánchez, etal. Forced migration, climate change, mitigation and adaptive policies in Mexico: some functional relationships. International Migration, 2013. |
| [15] | COUANA, Enoque Augusto. Influência do ENSO sobre a Precipitação nas cidades de Maputo, Beira e Lichinga. Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. Maputo. 2015. |
| [16] | EKAH, B., J., UDO, S., EWONA, O I. A Review on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1st to 6th Report. Physical Science International Journal. 2023. |
| [17] | FILIPE DUARTE SANTOS. A Física das Alterações climáticas. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa. Gazeta de Física. 2007. |
| [18] | Frontiers. (2021). Climate change in fisheries and aquaculture: Analysis of the impact caused by Idai and Kenneth cyclones in Mozambique. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 714187. |
| [19] | Grover, N. (2022). Global warming: A study of erratic fluctuations in land and oceanic temperature as influenced by heightening industrial activity and population growth. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies: Engineering and Technology, 3(2), 11–27. |
| [20] | Guariguata, M. R., Cornelius, J. P., Locatelli, B., Forner, C., & Sánchez-Azofeifa, G. A. (2008). Mitigation needs adaptation: Tropical forestry and climate change. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 13, 793–808. |
| [21] | GUERRA, Maria Daniely Freire; DE SOUZA, Marcos José Nogueira; LUSTOSA, Jacqueline Pires Gonçalves. Revisitando a teoria geossistêmica de Bertrand no século XXI: aportes para o GTP. Geografia em questão, 2012. |
| [22] | Guimarães, S. O., Mann, M. E., Rahmstorf, S., Petri, S., Kornhuber, K., Coumou, D., Steinman, B. A., Brouillette, D., & Christiansen, S. (2023). Projected changes on quasi-resonant amplification by CMIP5 and CMIP6 toward the persistence in extreme summer weather events. EGU General Assembly 2023. |
| [23] | HOMER-DIXON, Thomas F. Environment, Scarcity, and Violence. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999. |
| [24] | HOSFFMAN, Ospino. (2022). Climate: Climate Variability and Climate Change. 2022. |
| [25] |
Ingle, R., & Smith, K. (2018). Mozambique: Climate risk profile. Climate Links / USAID.
https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/2018 |
| [26] | IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Online. Available: (accessed 4 February 2008). |
| [27] | IPCC. Alterações Climáticas 2014: Impactos, Adaptação e Vulnerabilidade. Resumo para Decisores. Contribuição do Grupo de Trabalho II para o 5o Relatório de Avaliação do IPCC; Edição do Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera. Lisboa, 2014. |
| [28] | IPCC. Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 2007. |
| [29] | IRISH AID. Mozambique Climate Actions Report; Irish Aid: Maputo, Mozambique, 2016. |
| [30] | KEVIN, E. TRENBERTH. The Climate System. National Center for Atmospheric Research. 2022. |
| [31] | LOPES M, Coelho, S. R. M, Coutinho, S. R, Monteiro, A., Medina, J., Figueiredo S., Cunha S., Miranda, A. I. e Borrego, C. Climate-Change Adaptation Framework for Multiple Urban Areas in Northern Portugal”. Portugal. 2020. |
| [32] | LYNN, Donelson, Wright., JAMES, P., M., SYVITSKI., C., REID, Nichols. (2019). Global Change: More Than Climate. 2019. |
| [33] | MacDonald, G. J. (1988). Scientific basis for the greenhouse effect. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 7(3), 425–444. |
| [34] |
Machel, S. (2024). Analysis of extreme weather events in coastal regions in Mozambique. International Journal of Current Trends, 4(2), 1–15.
https://iprjb.org/journals/index.php/IJCS/article/download/2688/3140/7687 |
| [35] | MACIE, Odete Amelia de Amílcar. Características da estação chuvosa em Moçambique: Probabilidade de Ocorrência de períodos secos e padrões atmosféricas associados. Dissertação de Mestrado. São Paulo. 2016. |
| [36] | MANHIQUE, A. J. REASON, C. J. C. RYDBERG, L. FAUCHEREAU, N. ENSO and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures and their relationships with tropical temperate troughs over Mozambique and the Southwest Indian Ocean. International Journal of Climatology. 2011. |
| [37] | MARENCO, Ricardo-Antonio y ANTEZANA-VERA, Saul-Alfredo. Principal component regression analysis demonstrates the collinearity-free effect of sub estimated climatic variables on tree growth in the central Amazon. Rev. 2021. |
| [38] | MAVUME, Alberto F. etal. Analysis of climate change projections for Mozambique under the representative concentration pathways. Atmosphere, 2021. |
| [39] | Mester, B., Vogt, T., Bryant, S., Otto, C., Frieler, K., & Schewe, J. (2023). Human displacements from Tropical Cyclone Idai attributable to climate change. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 23, 3467–3485. |
| [40] | MONTEIRO, C. A. de F. Contribuição ao estudo da atuação das massas de ar na América do Sul. São Paulo: [editora/tese], 1962. |
| [41] | MONTEIRO, Jander Barbosa; ZANELLA, Maria Elisa. Eventos pluviométricos extremos e impactos associados em Fortaleza/Brasil: uma análise a partir da técnica dos quantis. In: Experimentos em Climatologia Geográfica. ORG: SILVA, CHARLEI Aparecido; FIALHO, Edson Soares e STEINKE, Ercília Torres – Dourados, MS: UFGD, 2016. |
| [42] | Ndlovu, S., & Maviza, G. (2026). A systematic review of the impact of climate-related displacements on food and water security in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 18(1), a1965. |
| [43] | OLAUSSON, U. (2009) ‘Global warming-global responsibility? Media frames of collective action and scientific certainty’, Public Understanding of Science, 18: 421-436. |
| [44] | OSWALD SPRING, Úrsula. Câmbio climático, conflictos sobre recursos y vulnerabilidad social. 2013. |
| [45] | OSWALD SPRING, Úrsula. Dual vulnerability among female household heads. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 2013. |
| [46] | OSWALD SPRING, Úrsula. The water, energy, food and biodiversity Nexus: new security issues in the case of Mexico. Addressing global environmental challenges from a peace ecology perspective, 2016. |
| [47] |
Otto, F. E. L., Zachariah, M., Wolski, P., Pinto, I., Barimalala, R., Nhamtumbo, B., Bonnet, R., … & Allen, M. (2022). Climate change increased rainfall associated with tropical cyclones hitting highly vulnerable communities in Madagascar, Mozambique & Malawi. World Weather Attribution.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/235619/climate-change-increased-extreme-rainfall-southeast/ |
| [48] | PACHAURI, Rajendra K., et al. Climate change 2014: synthesis report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ipcc, 2014. |
| [49] |
PARSON, EA, FISHER-VANDEN, K. Modelos de Avaliação Integrada das Mudanças Climáticas Globais. Revisão Anual de Energia e Meio Ambiente. [visto em 14 de julho de 2021 Disponível em:
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.energy.22.1.589 |
| [50] | Paterson, N. R. (2011). Global warming: A critique of the anthropogenic model and its consequences. Geoscience Canada, 38(1), 41–48. |
| [51] | PÉDELABORDE, P. Introduction à l’étude scientifique du climat. Paris: SEDES, 1970. |
| [52] | QIANG, Yao. NAZAN, An. Study on the Progress in Climate-Change-Oriented Human Settlement Research. Sustentability. 2023. |
| [53] | QUEFACE, A. (2009). Abordagem Geral sobre Desastres Naturais e Mudanças climáticas sobre Moçambique. University of Cape Town. 2009. |
| [54] |
Ribeiro, N., et al. (2021). Assessing Mozambique’s exposure to coastal climate hazards and erosion. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, 577–582.
https://research.unl.pt/ws/files/15186625/Assessing_Mozambique_exposure_coastal.pdf |
| [55] | RODRIGUES, Cleide. A teoria geossistêmica e sua contribuição aos estudos geográficos e ambientais. Revista do Departamento de Geografia. São Paulo. 2001. |
| [56] | SANTOS, Filipe Duarte. Alterações Climáticas. Edição eBook. Guidsign. Lisboa. 2021. |
| [57] | SCHWARTZ S. Well Known to a Few People: Attribution of Excess Atmospheric CO2 and Resulting Global Temperature Change to Fossil Fuel and Land Use Change Emissions. 2010. |
| [58] | SERRA, Adalberto. Previsão do Tempo. Publicação nº 1 do Instituto de Eletrônica da Universidade do Brasil. Transcrito em: Boletim Geográfico, Rio de Janeiro: IBGE, ano VI, n. 68, nov. 1948, p. 827–904. |
| [59] | Shindell, D. T., Faluvegi, G., Koch, D. M., Schmidt, G. A., Unger, N., & Bauer, S. E. (2009). Improved attribution of climate forcing to emissions. Science, 326(5953), 716–718. |
| [60] | SILLMANN, J.; KHARIN, V. V.; ZWIERS, F. W.; ZHANG, X. BRONAUGH, D. Climate extremes indices in the CMIP5 multi-model ensemble. Part 2: Future climate projections. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 2013b. |
| [61] | SORRE, M. Les Fondements de la Géograhie Humaine. Tome Premier: Les fondaments biologiques. Paris: Armand. Colin, 1951. |
| [62] | SOTCHAVA, Viktor Borisovich. O estudo de Geossistemas. 1977. |
| [63] | SPRING, Úrsula Oswald. Cambio Ambiental Global, Seguridad Alimentaria y de Água en América Latina. Un Reto para la Paz. " PATRIMONIO": Economía Cultural y Educación para la Paz (MEC-EDUPAZ), 2016. |
| [64] | STANLEY, C., SOLOMON., HANLI, Liu., DANIEL, R., MARSH., JOSEPH, Mcinerney., LIYING, Qian., FRANCIS, Vitt. Whole Atmosphere Simulation Of Anthropogenic Climate Change. Geophysical Research Letters. 2018. |
| [65] | STRAHLER, Arthur N. Physical Geography. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1951. |
| [66] | SWAYAM Vid, SHANTI Kumari (2022). Climate Change Studies, Permanent Forest Observational Plots and Geospatial Modeling. Taylor & Francis eBooks. local. 2022. |
| [67] | TIQUE, Alexandre Tomo. Análise da Climatologia Dinâmica da Variabilidade da precipitação na Região Sudeste de Africa. Dissertação de Mestrado. São Paulo. 2015. |
| [68] |
Turyasingura, B., & Maviza, G. (2026). Agriculture and community adaptation: A review on food production and climate resilience of the population in Southern Africa, Mozambique. Food Science Journal, 10(2), 1–12.
https://www.foodsciencejournal.com/assets/archives/2025/vol10issue2/10033.pdf |
| [69] | TYSON, P. D. PRESTON-WHYTE, R. A. Weather and Climate of Southern Africa. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 2000. |
| [70] | UAMUSSE, Miguel Meque, KAMSHAT, Tussupova, PERSSON, Kenneth M. Climate Change Effects on Hydropower in Mozambique. Applied Science. 2020. |
| [71] |
UNDP Climate Change Adaptation. (s.d.). Lessons from Mozambique: Country profile.
https://www.adaptation-undp.org/sites/default/files/resources/profile_mozambique_web.pdf |
| [72] | USAID. Climate Change Adaptation in Mozambique; USAID: Maputo, Mozambique, 2012. |
| [73] | Vertegaal, D. M., van den Hurk, B. J. J. M., Couasnon, A., Aleksandrova, N., Bovenschen, T., Gradiyanto, F., Leijnse, T. W. B., Goulart, H. M. D., & Muis, S. (2026). Climate and impact attribution of compound flooding induced by tropical cyclone Idai in Mozambique. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 26, 1417–1433. |
| [74] | Vousdoukas, M. I., Clarke, J., Ranasinghe, R., Reimann, L., Khalaf, N., Duong, T. M., Ouweneel, B., Sabour, S., Iles, C. E., Trisos, C. H., Feyen, L., Mentaschi, L., & Simpson, N. P. (2022). African heritage sites threatened as sea-level rise accelerates. Nature Climate Change, 12(3), 256–262. |
| [75] | Webb, P. E., Vertegaal, D. M., Vogel, M. M., Jack, C. D., & Muis, S. (2026). Impact attribution of compound flooding from Tropical Cyclone Idai: Assessing the influence of land cover change and underlying socio-economic drivers using a mixed-methods approach. EGUsphere. |
| [76] | World Bank. (2020). Mozambique: Climate change country profile. |
| [77] | YAMAGATA, T. Indian Ocean Dipole mode events in an ocean general circulation model. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 2002. |
| [78] | YU-JIE, Wang., DA-HE, Qin. Influence of climate change and human activity on water resources in arid region of Northwest China: An overview. Advances in Climate Change Research. 2017. |
APA Style
Mahumane, A. A., Romao, S. B. D. C. J., Dgedge, G. S., Gemusse, U. G. O. (2026). Climate Change, Associated Risks and Environmental Damages in Mozambique: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 14(5), 118-130. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12
ACS Style
Mahumane, A. A.; Romao, S. B. D. C. J.; Dgedge, G. S.; Gemusse, U. G. O. Climate Change, Associated Risks and Environmental Damages in Mozambique: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2026, 14(5), 118-130. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12
AMA Style
Mahumane AA, Romao SBDCJ, Dgedge GS, Gemusse UGO. Climate Change, Associated Risks and Environmental Damages in Mozambique: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2026;14(5):118-130. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12
@article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12,
author = {Americo Antonio Mahumane and Sara Brigida da Cunha Jorge Romao and Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge and Ubaldo Genova Ombe Gemusse},
title = {Climate Change, Associated Risks and Environmental Damages in Mozambique: A Systematic Review},
journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {118-130},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20261405.12},
abstract = {Climate change is one of the most significant environmental and societal challenges of the twenty-first century. Its effects are expressed through changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, environmental degradation, and growing risks to human livelihoods and well-being. Mozambique is particularly vulnerable because of its exposure to floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, coastal erosion, and other climate-related hazards, as well as its limited adaptive capacity in many communities. This article aims to review the state of the art on climate change and associated environmental risks, with particular emphasis on studies conducted in Mozambique. It also seeks to identify the main theoretical approaches, research trends, and knowledge gaps in the analysis of climate variability, vulnerability, impacts, resilience, and adaptation. The study adopted a qualitative approach based on a narrative literature review of scientific articles, reports, and other relevant academic publications addressing climate change, climate variability, environmental risks, vulnerability, resilience, and Mozambique. The reviewed literature was analyzed thematically in order to identify the principal concerns, methodologies, and findings presented by previous studies. The review shows that the international literature has substantially advanced the understanding of the environmental and human consequences of climate change, particularly in relation to vulnerability, adaptation, resilience, and disaster risk. In Mozambique, however, most studies focus on the impacts of natural disasters, vulnerability assessments, resilience, adaptation strategies, and projected climate-change scenarios. Comparatively fewer studies provide robust statistical analyses of historical temperature and precipitation records to demonstrate observed climate anomalies and long-term climatic trends. This limitation reduces the empirical basis for distinguishing between climate variability and anthropogenic climate change at local and regional scales. The article concludes that future research in Mozambique should combine vulnerability and impact assessments with systematic analyses of observed climatic data, climate indices, and regional climate projections. Such an integrated approach would strengthen the scientific basis for environmental planning, risk reduction, adaptation policies, and sustainable territorial development.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Climate Change, Associated Risks and Environmental Damages in Mozambique: A Systematic Review AU - Americo Antonio Mahumane AU - Sara Brigida da Cunha Jorge Romao AU - Gustavo Sobrinho Dgedge AU - Ubaldo Genova Ombe Gemusse Y1 - 2026/10/29 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12 DO - 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12 T2 - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy JF - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy JO - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy SP - 118 EP - 130 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-7536 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261405.12 AB - Climate change is one of the most significant environmental and societal challenges of the twenty-first century. Its effects are expressed through changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, environmental degradation, and growing risks to human livelihoods and well-being. Mozambique is particularly vulnerable because of its exposure to floods, droughts, tropical cyclones, coastal erosion, and other climate-related hazards, as well as its limited adaptive capacity in many communities. This article aims to review the state of the art on climate change and associated environmental risks, with particular emphasis on studies conducted in Mozambique. It also seeks to identify the main theoretical approaches, research trends, and knowledge gaps in the analysis of climate variability, vulnerability, impacts, resilience, and adaptation. The study adopted a qualitative approach based on a narrative literature review of scientific articles, reports, and other relevant academic publications addressing climate change, climate variability, environmental risks, vulnerability, resilience, and Mozambique. The reviewed literature was analyzed thematically in order to identify the principal concerns, methodologies, and findings presented by previous studies. The review shows that the international literature has substantially advanced the understanding of the environmental and human consequences of climate change, particularly in relation to vulnerability, adaptation, resilience, and disaster risk. In Mozambique, however, most studies focus on the impacts of natural disasters, vulnerability assessments, resilience, adaptation strategies, and projected climate-change scenarios. Comparatively fewer studies provide robust statistical analyses of historical temperature and precipitation records to demonstrate observed climate anomalies and long-term climatic trends. This limitation reduces the empirical basis for distinguishing between climate variability and anthropogenic climate change at local and regional scales. The article concludes that future research in Mozambique should combine vulnerability and impact assessments with systematic analyses of observed climatic data, climate indices, and regional climate projections. Such an integrated approach would strengthen the scientific basis for environmental planning, risk reduction, adaptation policies, and sustainable territorial development. VL - 14 IS - 5 ER -