Antonio Beleza
Director of Corporate Strategy
António José Beleza is an internationally recognized humanitarian expert with extensive experience leading emergency response efforts at both national and international levels. He is the Founder and CEO of AEROMAP, and the Co-Founder and President of the Mozambican Association of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (AMOVANT).
A pioneer in the integration of drone technology in humanitarian contexts, Beleza spearheaded the establishment of the Drones Coordination Cell for Humanitarian Assistance in Mozambique. Since 2016, he has led the application of drone-based solutions for emergency preparedness and disaster response across Mozambique and the wider SADC region.
In 2019, Beleza played a pivotal role in coordinating drone operations during the response to three major weather events—Tropical Depression Desmond, Cyclone Idai, and Cyclone Kenneth. This marked the first official deployment of drones in disaster response in Mozambique. The initiative, conducted in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), was internationally recognized, securing third place at WFP’s 2019 Global Management Meeting in London for innovation in humanitarian technology.
Beleza also led the largest drone mapping operation in Mozambique in 2021, covering over 850 square kilometers of the Buzi River Basin. This built on his earlier mapping work of the Licungo River Basin in 2019 (approx. 160 sq. km) in Zambézia province. These projects combined drone data, local knowledge, and scientific modelling to support the development of a digital flood early warning system.
Beyond operations, Beleza has contributed to numerous research studies, academic publications, and consultancies focused on the use of drones in disaster risk reduction. He has co-supervised university theses and led training programs for more than 200 drone operators across Mozambique.
Since 2021, he has been part of a groundbreaking global study on drone-assisted Search and Rescue (SAR), coordinated by the WFP, the University of Portsmouth, and the Institute of Technical Search and Rescue (UK)—aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of drones in SAR operations.