Biophysical environment
Tanzania has over 800 km of coastline, characterised by a mixture of beautiful sandy beaches, rocky outcrops, extensive coral reefs, and dense mangrove stands, especially around river deltas. Among the more famous of these natural resources are the beaches of Bagamoyo, the Jozani Forest Reserve, the coral reefs of Mafia, Zanzibar and Pemba, and the Amboni Caves. These coastal ecosystems support a wide variety of marine life.
The Third Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region (Nairobi Convention) was held at the Rovuma Carlton Hotel, Maputo, Mozambique, from 5 to 7 December 2001. The Meeting was convened by the Secretariat of the Nairobi Convention and hosted by the Government of Mozambique.
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.
The economic and socio-political interactions between countries can have major impacts on transboundary conservation decisions and outcomes. Here, we examined for 14 Western Indian Ocean (WIO) continental and island nations the extent of their marine coral reef species, fisheries and marine protected areas (MPAs), in the context of their geopolitical and socio-economic connections. We also examined the role of external countries and organisations in collaboration within the region.
Aim To describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors likely influencing the regional distribution of coral cover and assemblages with contrasting life histories and susceptibilities to bleaching. Location We compiled the first comprehensive empirical dataset for coral communities in the south‐eastern Indian Ocean (SEIO), incorporating information from 392 sites along the western coast of Australia and offshore atolls/islands across ~19° of latitude.
Catchments to coast: protecting forests to give marine biodiversity a future by Joseph Maina during the 2nd Project Steering Committee for the WIOSAP Project, Nairobi Convention, 27 August 2018, Mombasa, Kenya
Broad-scale overharvesting of fish is one of the major drivers of marine biodiversity loss and poverty, particularly in countries with high dependence on coral reefs. Given the heterogeneity of fishing effort and management success, and the scarcity of management resources, it is necessary to identify broad-scale locations for promoting successful fisheries management and conservation.
Component A: Sustainable Management of Critical Habitats. SDG14.2: Critical Habitats Outlook & SDG14.5: Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Outlook at the 2nd PSC for the WIOSAP Project.27 August 2018, Mombasa, Kenya
The Western Indian Ocean contains 16% of the world’s coral reefs, and the region is now thought to host the second peak of coral reef biodiversity globally. Coral reef ecosystems underpin the economies of the countries in the region, particularly fisheries and tourism sectors, and provide livelihood opportunities and income for local communities.