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:
The Nairobi Convention, in executing the project on ‘Strategic Action Programme Policy Harmonization and Institutional Reforms’ (SAPPHIRE), is organizing a Regional Ocean Governance workshop for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region from 04-05 September 2019.
The Nairobi Convention, Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and Birdlife International are organizing a meeting of the Consortium for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean region (WIO-C) to be held on 06 September 2019 in Seychelles.
The Nairobi Convention in executing the project on ‘Implementing the Strategic Action Programme for the protection of the Western Indian Ocean from land-based sources and activities’ (WIOSAP) is organizing a workshop for managers and policy-makers on Mainstreaming of Environmental Flows into Integrated Water Resources Management to be held on 18-20 September 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
News:
Progressive Delays in the Timing of Sardine Migration in the Southwest Indian Ocean
The sardine run is well known among residents of the KwaZulu-Natal coastline that runs along South Africa’s east coast. Every year in winter, sardines migrate close to the shoreline. The event is well documented in the local press. The sardine run is of great economic importance because it provides prime fishing opportunities and attracts large numbers of tourists. Scientists have become very interested in phenology over the past few decades, because it’s one of the most sensitive biological indicators of climate change.……read more
Chiefs of Naval of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Gendarmerie of Burkina Faso Sign MoU on Maritime Security
The Chiefs of Naval staff of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone as well as the Chief of Coast Guard of Liberia and the high Commander of the National Gendarmerie of Burkina Faso have signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint maritime operations in the ECOWAS maritime zone. The MoU will provide among others, an important response to threats to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea…..read more
Protecting Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: An Earth System Governance Perspective
This Perspective draws on the earth system governance literature and the authors’ own experience of and views on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction process to provide insights and recommendations for the ongoing negotiations. It highlights three areas of concern: (i) the politicization of science and coping with scientific uncertainty, (ii) institutional fragmentation; and (iii) the need for a new agreement to respond to the complex set of multiple, multilevel, and systemic threats to marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction…..read more
How Small Islands Can Harness the Ocean Economy
Small island developing states are the custodians of much of the world’s oceans. Through their exclusive economic zones, they control about 30% of all oceans and seas, and most of them have EEZs that far exceed their landmasses. But with limited capacity to fight the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, from the depletion of fish stocks to coastal erosion, ocean plastic pollution or coral reef degradation, SIDS are facing mounting difficulties in practicing good stewardship over their most precious assets…..read more
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Climate Change and Land finds that the world is best placed to tackle climate change when there is an overall focus on sustainability. An overall focus on sustainability coupled with early action offers the best chances to tackle climate change….….read more
Do you have an event or story you’d like included in the weekly round-up? Write [email protected] to be featured next week!
