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The Role of Data in Ocean Governance

GEF/UN Environment/UNDP Western Indian Ocean

By IW:LEARN

June 21^st, 2019

Oceans and seas play a key role in supporting socio-economic growth and development across different sectors, as well as in regulating climate patterns. The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region is characterized by a diverse range of species and ecosystems, and ranks as one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the world. The region is endowed with coastal forests, mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and pelagic and deep-sea habitats - all of which support high biodiversity and productive waters, which in turn support economies and livelihoods. Over 60 million people in the WIO region live within 100km of the coast, with over one million working in the fisheries sector.

In recent years however, the region has seen dramatic and often poorly understood reductions in key fisheries, due to the combined effects of climate change, overfishing and degradations of key marine ecosystems. Reversing these trends and creating effective management of the resources requires a system that can collect, share, and use scientific data, local knowledge, and socio-economic information. Such powerful knowledge can lead to the implementation of an informed, ecosystem-based approach to marine and coastal management.

In this vein, the Nairobi Convention is executing the GEF-funded Western Indian Ocean Large Marine Ecosystems Strategic Action Programme Policy Harmonisation and Institutional Reforms (WIO LME SAPPHIRE) project as part of its work programme (implemented by UNDP). The overall objectives of the SAPPHIRE project are to achieve effective long-term ecosystem management in the WIO Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs). The work will build on the previous activities completed under the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems (ASCLME) project. This project established a data and information management system which ensured that data was:

a) tracked and monitored until the publication stage of the report; and

b) archived in national data centres for the ongoing benefit of countries.

Local people's fishing boat, Anakao. South-West Madagascar. Credit: GRID-Arendal

The SAPPHIRE project envisages to build partnerships to ensure that data and information gathered by stakeholders in the WIO region are captured and integrated in an effective regional management and governance system for the WIO LMEs. Additionally, the project will consolidate work already done by stakeholders, including the local communities and the private sector, into the management process through real actions and transformation of practices. The project will engage with partners to provide support and assistance by way of skills, expertise, capacity development and hard resources in line with some of the specific priority requirements for the project implementation.

The project will also engage with the private sector to deliver an ocean-industry initiative for data capture, processing, analysis and quality control in line with ecosystem-based management as well as pollution assessment and monitoring. This will be key in realising science-based policy formulation, decision-making and preparing and implementing adaptive management plans, as well as in promoting engagement of the private sector in innovative ocean governance.

In a reflection of how pivotal data is to protecting the WIO, the SAPPHIRE project and partners have co-organized four meetings in the past month alone:

Science to Policy meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius, which brought together policy-makers, scientists, and partners to discuss the latest marine-related research and developed Terms of Reference for an institutionalized Science to Policy platform (May 2019)
Session on Regional Stocktaking on Oceanographic Data and Scientific Research, which discussed the data challenges, recommendations, and way forward for data management in the region (May 2019)
Partnership for Action Meeting on Management of Oceanographic Research and Data: this meeting developed a roadmap for revitalizing national data centres in Nairobi Convention states and proposed an action plan for capacity building and preparation for updating Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and Marine Ecosystem Diagnostics Analysis(MEDAs) conducted during the ASCLME project (June 2019)
Partnership Meeting on Oceanographic Research and Data Collection in the WIO: this meeting identified key priorities of countries in the utilization, management, and ownership of data and research findings; and discussed partnerships for research and data collection, specifically Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI)’s planned research in the North Kenya banks and Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS)’planned research in Tanzania’s Pemba Channel.

The partnerships and platforms formed at these meetings will be crucial in ensuring the right information on WIO’s resources, challenges, and needs are put in the right hands - leading to a more sustainable and prosperous region for us all.