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THE PLACE The Western Indian Ocean holds some of the planet’s richest marine biodiversity, from coral reefs to the mangrove forests that shelter coastlines and communities. Across nine countries, Marine Protected Areas are the front line for safeguarding these ecosystems, yet their effectiveness depends on coordinated management by and for the people who steward them. THE CHALLENGE Marine Protected Areas across the region faced common pressures but largely worked in isolation, with marine and coastal ecosystem health rarely placed at the centre of management. What was missing was a shared, evidence-based strategy to diagnose what limits MPA effectiveness, prioritise solutions, and align government, NGO, and community partners behind a common roadmap. |
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Facing a similar challenge? We can help. |
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OUR APPROACH GCS partnered with the Minderoo Foundation and regional networks to strengthen MPA management across the Western Indian Ocean, culminating in a four-day workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania that brought together government agencies, NGOs, community leaders, and practitioners from across the region. We facilitated an evidence-based strategy design process to diagnose the challenges affecting MPA effectiveness, prioritise solutions, and build a five-year roadmap. Throughout, we embedded marine and coastal ecosystem health as central pillars of management, and supported participatory engagement so that strategies for restoration and sustainable management were genuinely shared and owned. RESULTS & IMPACT A five-year roadmap to strengthen Marine Protected Area effectiveness across nine countries Mangroves recognised as a priority ecosystem within regional MPA management strategies Agreed actions to reduce pressures and strengthen monitoring across the network A synthesis plan with practical pathways for integrating spatial measures into long-term governance |