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Assessing Financial Flows within the South West Indian Ocean Blue Economy

In 2023, WWF commissioned a study on the financial flows in the South West Indian Ocean blue economy. The study also examined the effectiveness of policies and regulations in place to mitigate the environmental, social and governance risks inherent in financing ocean-based commercial ventures.

Conducted by the international consulting firm Profundo, the analysis found that investments and loans to the SWIO region are primarily of foreign origin and directed towards unsustainable commercial activities such as energy and mineral resource extraction. 

It also found that that most financiers do not have sufficiently comprehensive ESG policies in place to manage their exposure to ocean-related risks, and that there is currently little regulation to ensure that financial flows into the region are directed towards activities that are sustainable and inclusive.

This summary report provides insight into the study's most compelling findings, presenting key data in an accessible visual format to support the effective and broad dissemination of this important work on the current state of financial flows in the SWIO region.

Sector factsheets

Sector-specific factsheets have been produced to highlight the implications and recommended actions for civil society, financial institutions and financial regulators

Country reports

Country-specific findings have been compiled in five seperate reports for Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania.

Explainer video

Watch WWF's expainer video highlighting the study's main findings here.
 
 
This project was supported by the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) and undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the federal Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Read the full publication

Assessing Financial Flows within the South West Indian Ocean Blue Economy