Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this installment of the Weekly News Round-up! Please keep reading to find out what’s new in efforts to protect, conserve and develop the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.
We look forward to continuing our work with you to create a prosperous WIO region with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans.
Upcoming Events:
First Sapphire and third Wiosap Project Steering Committee Meeting on 25 – 28 June 2019 in Durban, South Africa: this meeting will bring together the PSCs of both projects to evaluate progress and provide recommendations to guide project implementation.
Partnership Meeting on Oceanographic Research and Data Collection in the Western Indian Ocean Region on 12 June 2019 in Mombasa, Kenya: organized under the SAPPHIRE project, this meeting will bring together several institutions to discuss the status of oceanographic research and data collection in the WIO region.
Special session on ‘Promoting Marine Protected Areas as a tool for Management Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goal 14’: Join us for this special session on July 5, 2019 at Port Louis Mauritius during the 11th Symposium of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA).
News:
Threats of Microplastic pollution to the marine ecosystem of Tanzanian coastal waters
The current management practice for plastics waste in the WIO region is primarily focusing on physical removal of large plastics (macroplastics) through annual beach cleaning, combined with public awareness. Despite the potential risks from macro and microplastics waste in marine biodiversity, human health and economic welfare, little effort has been directed to combat microplastics……read more
Lamu launches mangrove restoration campaign
Lamu, Kenya has embarked on a campaign to restore and protect mangroves as part of its efforts to improve forest cover. Mangroves are an integral part of the ecosystem of the coastal counties…….read more
MIHARI Network wins prestigious conservation prize
MIHARI was created in 2012 as a platform for sharing best practice in sustainable fishing practices between fishers, LMMA members and NGO partners, and to develop management guidelines to safeguard Madagascar’s marine resources…..read more
Secret gardens under the sea: what are we doing to conserve them?
Regional cooperation, as well as cooperation with countries and institutions outside the region, is crucial when scientific and technological development is concerned …….read more
Community initiative to restore mangroves of Bay of Assassins: experience from the south-west of Madagascar
Promoting collaborative research with the neighboring countries is important, given that Madagascar’s mangroves have the largest extent in the Western Indian Ocean region with the high potentiality to support fisheries production in the region and also to contribute to climate change mitigation. There is therefore high opportunity to approach several research themes such as institutional governance of mangroves and quantification of the community effort to sequester carbon through mangrove restoration…….read more
Women as climate action ambassadors in coastal districts of India’s Odisha State
The Odisha study reveals how climate change deepens existing gender inequality and further perpetuates it by limiting the weakest groups’ access to information, relief, technology and skills to influence climate change policy and actions. In most coastal villages, women have very limited decision-making power and hardly participate in the community planning process…..read more
Artisanal fish fences pose broad and unexpected threats to the tropical coastal seascape
The study finds that fish fences disrupt vital ecological connectivity, exploit > 500 species with high juvenile removal, and directly damage seagrass ecosystems with cascading impacts on connected coral reefs and mangroves. …….read more
Celebrate World Oceans Day 2019 by learning more about the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)!
Every day this week, the Nairobi Convention is shining a light on how your country is fighting to protect the WIO, current environmental issues in the ocean, and just how important this ocean is in terms of biodiversity and resources……read more
Find World Oceans Day Events and Activities around the globe here
Do you have an event or story you’d like included in the weekly round-up? Write [email protected] to be featured next week!
