Vila do Ibo damage assessment, Capacity Building and Conservation Planning
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:
- Documentation, damage assessment and evaluation for the historic urban area of Vila do Ibo through drone inspections and field-based surveys are carried out.
- Emergency conservation measures at the most damaged historic buildings identified during the survey are implemented.
- A Rehabilitation and Conservation Plan of the historic area of Vila do Ibo is prepared and submitted to the local authorities.
- Capacities of the two key Mozambican partners about methodological and practical know-how for emergency conservation are reinforced.
Fig.1 – Fortim São Antonio
Fig.2 – Mercado central do Ibo
Fig.3 – Igreja São Joao Baptista do Ibo
Fig.4 – Residencia Oficial do Administrador