Western Indian Ocean

There are multiple impacts of climate change to our 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 OA and climate change. This has impacts on the region’s development goals, sustainable blue economy, and food security.

Bodies like the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) are critical players in increasing regional scientific knowledge, prioritizing discrete projects at local scales, and are well aligned to provide decision makers and communities with research and monitoring information on current and emerging marine socio-ecological threats and potential responses.

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 established a pathway for integrating OA monitoring and research work into the broader governance mandates of the Convention.

That’s why we are partnering with WIOMSA on policy recommendations that contribute towards enhancing OA monitoring, research, and vulnerability assessments in the WIO region, by illuminating their relationship to consequential climate adaptation, marine management, and sustainable development policy goals and contributing to the development of the Regional Ocean Acidification Action Plan now taking shape under the Nairobi Convention

The OA Alliance has hosted stakeholder meetings with the African Union Commission (AUC) Environment and Blue Economy Divisions as well as the Green Climate Fund in order to connect the ocean acidification work with tangible policy outcomes across the Africa 2063 Roadmap and other regional policy goals.

Following a February 2025 workshop in Tanzania with the African Union and participating Ministries, the Western Indian Ocean Stakeholder Working Group will identify synergies for connecting the “Regional Ocean Acidification Ocean Plan” across relevant AUC policies including the Dashboard for Blue Economy and enabling a coordinated regional and continental response to OA.