World Environment Day 2022 June 5 marks World Environment Day, celebrated globally since 1973 as a platform for raising environmental awareness and acting on urgent planetary issues. Sadly, the urgency to reverse damage done by humanity on nature was as urgent then as it is now, as humanity is now facing the ‘triple planetary crisis’;…
Activities on land place enormous stress on our oceans, putting our health, jobs, and ecosystems at risk. One of the ways through which the GEF-funded WIOSAP project strives to reduce land-based stresses is by improving the management of river flows. To this end, WIOSAP is funding several demonstration projects in the Western Indian Ocean region,…
A Conversation with Peter Manyara, IUCN According to UNEP, thousands of pieces of marine plastics are estimated to be afloat on every square mile of the ocean. As an upcoming Nairobi Convention and WIOMSA report, Marine Plastic Litter in the Western Indian Ocean Region: A Synthesis Report states, the Western Indian Ocean is well-known for…
A Q&A with Dr. Jude Bijoux- Marine Conservation, Fisheries and Climate Change Adaptation Consultant The fisheries sector in the Seychelles archipelago is well developed with artisanal fisheries, semi-industrial fisheries and industrial fisheries providing food security and employment opportunities for the community. According to the World Bank, the sector is the second largest in the country…
A Conversation with Judy Mann, Conservation Strategist at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research On 1 August 2021, South Africans came together to celebrate their Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs, Day. MPAs can be defined as an area of ocean or coastline that has been specially-designated for protection for the benefit of nature…
A Conversation with Aboud Jumbe, Principal Secretary of Zanzibar’s Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries [The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.] The Blue Economy, according to the World Bank, is the sustainable use of resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health. In Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous island state off…
A version of this article originally appeared on GEF:IWlearn. Mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata, also known as mud crabs) are some of the most valuable crab species in the world. Considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia, they fetch a high price at the market, providing a strong incentive for local communities to harvest them. Indeed, the crabs…
For many locals and tourists, Praslin Island in Seychelles is synonymous with paradise. From the white sands of Anse Lazio, frequently voted as one of the top beaches in the world, to the endemic species of the jungle, to the colorful coral reefs in Curieuse Marine Park, Praslin is filled with both beauty and biodiversity.…
South Africa is a maritime nation with jurisdiction over one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world: the mainland EEZ stretches 370km offshore and includes 1.072.716 km2 of ocean. The country has a 3113 km long coastline that extends from Ponta do Ouro on the Mozambican border to the Orange river on the…
A new study published in the Wiley Journal of Global Ecology and Biogeography has determined that both human pressures, when coupled with erosion, drought, and sea-level changes (i.e. certain effects of climate change), are the main culprits behind the diminishing mangrove forests in the Western Indian Ocean region. Mangroves, unique trees that thrive in saltwater,…