The workshop was convened in partnership with the Nairobi Convention Secretariat through the Integrated Management of the Marine and Coastal Resources of the NMC (NoCaMo) project and the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) through the Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation project. Workshop participants included the Nairobi Convention Secretariat; AU-IBAR; WWF-SWIO; representatives from Mozambique, Tanzania, Comoros and Madagascar; and non-governmental organisations partners from WildTrust, Cordio and The Nature Conservancy.

The workshop focused on:

• Gathering feedback on a common NMC MSP vision and roadmap
• Defining the scope of the NMC MSP in terms of its geography, the designated regional authority and the technical working group
• Drafting technical guidelines for the NMC MSP
• Exploring other useful tools and data for the NMC MSP process, such as the natural capital assessment that has just been initiated; the ongoing Tanzania MSP process; and the GEMS Ocean Digital Twin of the Ocean concepts and other technologies that can be adapted to improve the understanding and management of the NMC environment and its unique biodiversity.

At the end of the workshop, the common vision and roadmap for the NMC MSP was updated and validated, the geographic scope was agreed and technical implementation guidelines were drafted using scenarios exercises. This first draft of these technical guidelines will be reviewed and updated based on feedback each country will provide in next months.  

WWF has identified the NMC, an area within the greater South West Indian Ocean, as a suitable candidate for stronger protections through MSP processes. This rich haven of biodiversity is home to more than 10 million people who rely on its bounty for their nutrition security, livelihoods and wellbeing. The NMC plays a vital role in ecosystem maintenance: the mangroves and seagrass beds are a nursery for fish species; the deeper currents shelter endangered species like whale sharks, dugongs and turtles; and its coral reefs contain some of the most climate-resilient coral in the world. It is also home to the most ancient of fish – the coelacanth.

WWF has prioritised protecting the NMC because this ecologically and biologically significant area faces threats from climate change; from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and from the extractive industries, as highlighted in this recent WWF report, which found that 70% of loans secured in August 2023 and 78% of the investments that flowed into the region between 2017 and 2023 were directed to the energy and mineral sector.

Marine spatial planning is a method to collectively and inclusively decide which human activities may take place at which locations within a seascape, as well as when these activities may take place over time. It is used to identify which areas are suitable for human activities (such as commercial fishing and building energy farms), and which areas are ecologically sensitive or important and therefore require protection to ensure healthy and thriving ecosystems in future. When combined with integrated ocean governance – which aims to ensure that all stakeholders, including local communities, have a strong and informed voice in policy discussions – the MSP process can ensure that people will forever be able to continue reaping the benefits of sustainable ocean enterprises and activities.

The Nairobi Convention has developed an MSP framework for the broader Western Indian Ocean as part of its NoCaMo project, which is tabled to be adopted on the upcoming eleventh Nairobi Convention Conference of the Parties (NC COP 11) taking place in Antananarivo, Madagascar, from August 20 to 22. However, a more focused, regional MSP process for the NMC is needed. This provides an exciting ground for multi-country cooperation and transboundary management that could serve as a template for other regions.

As a first step towards developing a marine spatial plan for the NMC, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and WWF-SWIO convened a stakeholder workshop in May to develop a vision and roadmap for an MSP process in the region. The aim of the workshop was to agree on a common vision for the MSP process, draft a roadmap for implementing MSP, and to define concrete next steps. The workshop concluded with the development of a draft vision and roadmap, which were updated and validated in this follow-up consultation workshop.

The workshop was an important step towards the implementation of MSP in the NMC. Next week, the NC COP 11 is expected to recognise the importance of NMC as a key component of the next five-year work plan for Convention countries. The NC COP is the highest decision-making organ of the Nairobi Convention, which is mandated to protect, manage and develop the coastal and marine environment of the Western Indian Ocean.