Maputo — Mozambican Tourism Minister Fernando Sumbana has reiterated the importance of upgrading the management of conservation areas to the highest standards to allow sustainable use of the country's natural resources.

He was speaking in Maputo on Wednesday at the opening of a conference on "Sustainable Funding for Conservation Areas" that is to work out a strategy for such areas.

"Mozambique intends to upgrade the management of conservation areas to the highest standards", pledged Sumbana, adding that efforts are underway to combine the sustainable use of natural resources with development.

He explained that the country is striving to produce a national policy for conservation areas, that will guide the management projects.

Sumbana said that the Mozambican state will spend about three million US dollars a year on these activities, and foreign donors will add another two million US dollars for the same projects in parks and reserves.

Speaking of the different models of funding, Sumbana said that one of them is the sale of 'Carbon Credits'. This is a scheme whereby developing countries, that account for very little of the excess carbon dioxide causing climate change, can sell the right to pollute to the rich countrie sof the north.

"Through this model, countries with a good conservation policy, such as ours, and who have been preserving the conservation areas may, with a well defined programme, create conditions to sell carbon credits to those others who pollute the most, and thus have resources to fund programmes in protected areas", said Sumbana.