Mozambique's Mangroves Threatened by Chinese Mining Operations
A sand mining operation in Mozambique's Zambézia Province, controlled by Mozambique Heavy Sand Company VIII and partially owned by China's Jinan Yuxiao Group, has been linked to significant environmental destruction. According to a Mongabay investigation, the operation has decimated hundreds of hectares of mangroves between 2022 and 2026.
The Jinan Yuxiao Group holds mining concessions covering over 500,000 hectares in Mozambique, focusing on titanium-bearing heavy mineral sands. Satellite analysis by Global Mangrove Watch, monitored by Wetlands International, first identified mangrove degradation in the Chinde district in late 2023, attributing it to human activity consistent with the timeline of these mining operations.
A 2024 report by Mozambique's Transparency International chapter, Centro de Integridade Pública, cited environmentally harmful practices by Jinan Yuxiao’s Africa Great Wall Mining, including habitat destruction and pollution. Despite stricter mining regulations introduced by the Mozambican government in 2026, these reforms do not apply to existing licenses like that of Mozambique Heavy Sand Company VIII.
Research indicates a 32 percent decline in mangrove coverage in Zambézia Province from 2013 to 2023, a loss of 259 square kilometers, marking it as the province with the largest mangrove decline in Mozambique during this period. Local fishers have voiced concerns that the mining activities are undermining mangrove ecosystems and negatively impacting fisheries, threatening local livelihoods.