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 WIOSAP project, is organizing a workshop for managers and policy-makers on Mainstreaming of Environmental Flows into Integrated Water Resources Management to be held on 25 – 27 November 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
- In executing the SAPPHIRE project, the Nairobi Convention will be hosting the Leadership Renewal Workshop for Senior Officials and Policy Makers (Women) in Marine Policy and Ocean Governance in the WIO Region in Mombasa, Kenya from 4-6 December. The leadership renewal workshop seeks to promote the empowerment, active participation, and networking among officials, women marine scientists and experts in charge of policy formulation, decision-making and implementation of policies and programmes on coastal and marine ecosystem management and ocean governance.
News:
Supporting Ocean Acidification Initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean
Ocean acidification is the ongoing increase of ocean acidity as a result of an uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Are all areas of the globe affected equally by ocean acidification? What are its socio-economic consequences? While our general understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification is increasing, information in some areas of the world remains scarce…….read more
Ocean could provide over six times more food than it does today
A new report indicates that the ocean could provide over six times more food than it does now with better management and more technological innovation, scientists, highlighting that boosting the cultivation of bivalves like mussels and clams could be especially beneficial. The report estimates the oceans could provide more than two thirds of the animal protein that U.N. food experts predict will be needed to feed the world in future. Fish currently accounts for about a fifth of animal protein consumed by humans…….read more
Read the Report: The future of Food from the Sea
South Africa is alert to the growing opportunity offered by the maritime sector
One statistic illustrates the potential: South Africa does maintenance on only 5% of the 13 000 vessels that uses its ports and services 4-5% of the approximately 130 rigs that pass along the coast each year. Large quantities of oil are transported around the Cape of Good Hope every year: 32.2% of West Africa’s oil and 23.7% of oil emanating from the Middle East. South African companies are alert to this potential. More than 7 000 direct jobs were created in the Western Cape ship and rig repair sector in 2015…….read more
Webinar: “Sustainable Desalination: Innovation Tools to Address Wastewater due to Brine Discharges”
The Global Wastewater Initiative (GW²I) is pleased to announce the upcoming webinar “Sustainable Desalination: Innovation Tools to Address Wastewater due to Brine Discharges” . Join a group of experts online on Thursday, 5 December 2019, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM Nairobi time.
For registration and more information, please visit the webpage of the event: Click Here
Mangroves Reduce the Vulnerability of Coral Reef Fisheries to Habitat Degradation
Despite general and wide-ranging negative effects of coral reef degradation on reef communities, hope might exist for reef-associated predators that use nursery habitats. When reef structural complexity is lost, refuge density declines and prey vulnerability increases. This research explores whether the presence of nursery habitats can promote high predator productivity on degraded reefs by mitigating the costs of increased vulnerability in early life, whilst allowing for the benefits of increased food availability in adulthood. The research finds out that low complexity, degraded reefs with nurseries can support fisheries productivity that is equal to or greater than that in complex reefs that lack nurseries…….read more
