Ndejembi sets six-point agenda to protect Western Indian Ocean ecosystem

Vice President, Deogratius Ndejembi, has outlined six priorities for Tanzania and other Western Indian Ocean countries, that seek to mobilise regional cooperation to protect marine ecosystems, safeguard coastal livelihoods and unlock the region’s blue economy potential. Speaking at the 12th Conference of Parties to the Nairobi Convention (COP12) in Dar es Salaam, Mr Ndejembi said countries needed to move beyond commitments and translate regional agreements into national laws, development plans and budgets. The priorities include strengthening regional cooperation, protecting marine ecosystems, tackling ocean pollution, investing in climate resilience, using science and research to guide decisions, and ensuring the meaningful participation of coastal communities, women, young people and the private sector. Mr Ndejembi said the health of the Western Indian Ocean was closely linked to economic prospects, food security and livelihoods. “Let us ensure that the agreements reached here are translated into national laws and incorporated into our plans and budgets. We must also work together to protect marine resources such as mangroves and other marine ecosystems,” he said. He said Tanzania’s ocean resources offered opportunities in fisheries, tourism, mangrove conservation and other blue economy activities, but warned that these could not be sustained without protecting the ecosystems that support them. “Healthy oceans mean healthy economies and better livelihoods,” Mr Ndejembi said, calling for stronger resilience among coastal communities and ecosystems to climate change and other environmental threats. He also called for regional action to tackle marine pollution, noting that threats to the ocean often cross national boundaries and require collective responses. The Vice President stressed the importance of science, research, reliable data and technology in shaping policies and investment decisions affecting marine resources. He said coastal communities should be at the centre of decisions because they were directly affected by environmental degradation and conservation measures. Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, Elizabeth Mrema, said the Nairobi Convention had strengthened its legal and policy framework to address emerging environmental challenges. “Our legal architecture has evolved,” she said, citing Integrated Coastal Zone Management and the Regional Ocean Governance Strategy. Ms Mrema said the Convention had also strengthened the link between science and policymaking through the Forum for Academic and Research Institutions (FARI) and its partnership with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). She also highlighted the Land-Based Sources and Activities (LBSA) Protocol, which promotes a source-to-sea approach to tackling marine pollution by addressing pollution before it reaches coastal and marine ecosystems. The minister of State in the Vice President’s Office, Hamad Yussuf Masauni, called for greater use of innovation, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence in marine and coastal conservation, as well as stronger knowledge-sharing across the region. Head of the Nairobi Convention Secretariat Dr Jared Bosire said sustainable development in the Western Indian Ocean could not be achieved through isolated efforts by individual countries or institutions. “Achieving the Convention’s objectives requires collective commitment and participation from governments and other stakeholders,” he said. The COP12 meeting, being held in Dar es Salaam from October 6 to 9, brings together the Nairobi Convention’s 10 contracting parties and other stakeholders to review progress and agree on the next phase of regional cooperation. The meeting also marks 40 years of the Nairobi Convention and is expected to chart the next phase of regional ocean governance and promote a sustainable blue economy.