Opportunities to Advance OA Policy Action in Africa and Support Outcomes of the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya
Like many other regions, the Western Indian Ocean depends on healthy marine ecosystems and species to achieve regional developmental goals, deliver a sustainable blue economy, and feed a growing population.
For many years, the ocean has been quietly absorbing excess heat and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by humans. The acceleration of carbon pollution in the last hundred years has far-reaching consequences on the ocean including ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, sea-level rise, more frequent and intense storms, marine heat waves, and loss of marine life and habitat.
Western Indian Ocean (WIO) marine ecosystems and resources are vulnerable to the cumulative impacts of acidification and climate change. This has impacts on the region’s development goals, sustainable blue economy, and food security.
Luckily, the local leadership in responding to this threat has been immense.
In 2018, the Western Indian Ocean Acidification (WIO) OA Monitoring project was established by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in conjunction with regional institutions and experts. The monitoring project resulted in the WIO OA report in 2022, which examines the state of OA and makes recommendations for future research and information priorities across 6 countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
In 2021, the Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention requested the secretariat to develop, “A regional action plan to both monitor and enhance national climate change intervention strategies to minimize the impacts of ocean acidification.” The decision has established an opportunity for integrating ongoing OA monitoring and research work into the broader governance mandates of the Convention.
Led by WIOMSA and the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), a Regional Ocean Acidification Action Plan has been now been adopted under the Nairobi Convention to support Convention mandates and outcomes.
To support implementation of the Regional Ocean Acidification Action Plan, the OA Alliance has partnered with WIOMSA on communications materials and policy recommendations that promote science, policy and financing uptake of this work by national governments and financing bodies in the region.
The upcoming Our Ocean Conference, hosted by the government of Kenya in Mombasa, provides an important opportunity to advance ocean acidification policy action and financing in Africa. Taking action on ocean acidification support keys outcomes of the Our Ocean Conference, which aims to address the key ocean issues of our time, including climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and pollution.
Since 2014, the Our Ocean Conference have driven global action to protect marine environments, with over $140 billion pledged and 2,600 commitments worldwide, fostering sustainable solutions for ocean conservation.
Now is the time to accelerate and support the leadership shown by African countries in responding to climate change and protecting blue economies that provide so much in a rapidly changing world.
Learn more about this work and get involved!
Interested in learning more? We will be hosting a briefing for WIO National Governments on March 12 at 2:00 pm EAT to dive deeper into this work and its implications for the region. Additional details will be shared soon, please contact Reuben Makomere (Rmakomere@unfoundation.org) if you’d like to attend.