On March 12 the OA Alliance partnered with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association to host a high-level briefing, “Accelerating Action on Ocean Acidification in the Western Indian Ocean at the 2026 Our Ocean Conference.”
The 11th Our Ocean Conference, presided over by the Government of Kenya in Mombasa, provides an important opportunity to advance ocean acidification policy action and financing in Africa.
Ocean acidification has a long history at the Our Ocean Conference. It was raised as a major issue at the 1st Our Ocean Conference in 2014. The OA Alliance was launched at the 3rd Our Ocean Conference in Washington DC (2016). We hosted the 1st ever ocean acidification ministerial meeting and released the OA Action Plan Toolkit at the 3rd Our Ocean Conference in Malta (2017). Commitments to ocean acidification science, policy and financing were made at the 7th Our Ocean Conference in Palau (2022). A 2nd ministerial and partner meeting on ocean acidification was held at the 8th Our Ocean Conference in Panama (2023). And the National OA Action Planning Leadership Circle was launched at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Greece (2024).
Building upon this legacy, now is the time to shine a global spotlight on the leadership shown by African countries in responding to climate change and protect sustainable blue economies that provide so much in a rapidly changing world.
At the briefing, the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) spoke about the importance of mainstreaming ocean acidification across climate and marine policies and provided opportunities for elevating regional and Continental efforts and funding needs in Mombasa.
Dr. Arthur Tuda, Executive Secretary of WIOMSA and Dr. George Rushingisha, Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, spoke about the ocean acidification monitoring and research projects supported by WIOMSA (2018-2022) and the Regional OA Action Plan (2025-2035) that has been adopted by the Nairobi Convention (2025) providing a mandate for Member States in the Western Indian Oceean to take up this work that includes mitigation and adaptation measures.
Lissa Karanja, Ocean Climate Policy Officer at IOC-UNESCO Africa provided perspective on the importance of ocean acidification being taken up as part of larger climate preparedness and blue economy agendas in Africa as well as the science capacity building, policy and financing support governments need in order to make decisions about ocean acidification mitigation, adaptation and resilience now and into the future.
The briefing included government representation from Kenya, Tanzania and Mauritius as well several ocean acidification scientists and NGO partners who are active in shaping relevant projects in the Western Indian Ocean Region. It was acknowledged that while emerging data exists, little has been done to integrated ocean acidification knowledge across existing policies.
Next steps:
Map out relevant entities (Continental, Regional and National) that must be involved in implementing the WIO Regional OA Action Plan and adopt similar approaches to addressing this issue across the Continent.
Engage Ministries directly on this issue; helping them understand the importance and useability of ocean acidification information coming from the region. It was acknowledged that actions in response to acidification can only be as good as the knowledge produce. This includes ensuring baselines are funded and research is directed to prioritize seafood security, conservation and blue economy plans.
Encourage Ministries, Regional Development Banks, Philanthropy and IGO actors to make policy and funding commitments towards advancing ocean acidification work in the Western Indian Ocean. This includes funding support to advance the science-to-policy feedback loop across the 6 WIO Countries, as coordinated by WIOMSA and Nairobi Convention.
Include Western Indian Ocean leadership on ocean acidification science across Climate Plenary and side events at the 11th Our ocean Conference.
Host an in-person meeting in Mombasa during the OOC (June 16-18); advance discussions for implementing and funding the WIO Regional OA Action Plan and adopt similar approaches to addressing this issue across the Continent.
Takeaways:
Ocean acidification is already reshaping coastlines, food systems, and livelihoods - yet remains largely absent from mainstream policy agendas.
Strong action on ocean acidification science, policy and financing in the Western Indian Ocean supports keys outcomes of the 11th Our Ocean Conference, which aims to address the key ocean issues of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and pollution.
Resources:
Recommendations for Advancing Ocean Acidification Action in the Western Indian Ocean, 2024. (HERE)