Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA)

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Coastal cities are dynamic, complex systems which need energy, water, food and other resources to function and support diverse activities. If managed properly cities have the potential to offer better socio-economic conditions and quality of life to residents as well as the wider nation within which they are situated. The integrated adaptive management and sustainable development of coastal cities is therefore essential.

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SDG 14 offers a great opportunity to advance ocean sustainability in the WIO to address current and emerging threats.It is underpinned by targets addressing conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources, including coastal zones, and targets referring to capacity building and ocean governance.

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The Toolkit aims to act as a first point of call in the search for information on issues that MPA managers and practitioners face in day-to-day operations. This first Edition of the Toolkit contains 78 theme sheets, most of which include a case study to help illustrate each topic. The Toolkit is arranged in two parts: 1) The Management Process and 2) Conservation and Sustainable Use.

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The countries of the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region share a common but varying dependence on the coastal resources including fisheries resources. Currently the coastal zone of the mainland states is home to over 30 million people and about 7.7 million more live on the Islands of Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Réunion (Linden and Lundin, 1997). Coastal resources in the Eastern African region have supported the livelihoods of generations of coastal dwellers and have contributed to the economic development of most countries in the region.

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Coastal cities are gateways of trade and transport of countries in the WIO region and sites of key economic activity and infrastructure including ports, airports, hotels and fish markets, as well as providing the workforce that supports key blue economy sectors.

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association and UN Habitat, in partnership with the Nairobi Convention launched a portfolio of 6 reports on 15 December 2021. The reports focus on strategic and operational opportunities for city and Blue economy stakeholders.