Scenarios: WIO coastal and marine environmental futures

The 45 649 km long coastline of Africa is shared by 33 mainland countries and six island states. The continents’ coastal and marine resources support many economic activities such as shipping, transportation and recreation. The state of the coastal environment is an indicator of the potential economic benefit that can be derived from the natural goods and services that accrue to government accounts and their people. An analytical exploration of the future state of coastal resources is required to understand the relationship between the use and exploitation of natural goods and services and the concept of sustainable development. The western Indian Ocean (WIO) Regional State the Coast Report (RSOCR) presents an exploratory scenario and policy analysis to better inform anticipatory planning and management of coastal and marine resources. To address gaps and policy failures in the governance of ocean and coasts, there is a need to explore a more holistic approach to managing complex seascapes, such as spatial management approaches like the use of marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine spatial planning, which both seek to implement ecosystem-based management. This integrated approach to management that considers the entire ecosystem, including humans, can be employed across the WIO region through futuristic analyses.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Climate Action

Life Below Water