| Capacity-building | 2021 - 2023:
- Capacity-building of the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network as a central regional mangrove knowledge organization took place throughout the second phase of Save Our Mangroves Now!, leading to the registration of the organization in 2021, development of several important operational documents and their involvement in the new BENGO project titled "Sustainable Mangrove Use in the Western Indian Ocean region".
| Completed |
| Convene stakeholders/Networking | In 2022, led by Wetlands International two South-South Exchanges took place under the second phase of Save Our Mangroves Now! (in March and October 2022). The first exchange took place in Senegal and brought together 29 practitioners and policy makers from the Atlantic Coast and Western Indian Ocean region, namely participants from 9 countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, and Guinea Bissau. In October 2022, the second South-South Exchange was held in Rufiji Delta, Tanzania, bringing together 31 participants from 11 countries in East and West Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, and Nigeria), along with development partners from the Swedish International Development Agency. | Completed |
| Education/Communication/Raising awareness | 2021:
- Development of #RootsofHope campaign; representation of mangrove topics as NbS at variety of international events, such as IUCN WCC, UNFCCC COP26
- Launch of white paper including information on the socio-economic status and mapping of extent, reduction, CO2 storage capacity of mangrovs in the Western Indian Ocean region, the Mangrove Principles and an introduction to the Great Blue Wall
- Development and lay-outs of four socio-economic profile reports including the status of mangroves and their conservation in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. The reports call attention to the social and economic value of mangroves in each country, analyse the governance framework and its shortcomings, identify the main threats to mangrove ecosystems and highlight examples of sustainable use schemes
- Communication products for the socio-economic profiles were produced and disseminated in Kenya and Mozambique
2022:
- Creation of four videos for mangrove messengers from each of the four focal countries (Kenya, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique)
- Legacy publication of SOMN phase 2: “Saving Our Mangroves in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar”, which was launched at the 12th scientific symposium of WIOMSA in October 2022 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- presentation of legacy publication during APAC in Kigali, Rwanda in July 2022 | Completed |
| Other | 2023:
- A third phase of Save Our Mangroves Now began in April 2023 and is designed to contribute towards the Global Mangrove Breakthrough Goals
- a BENGO Global programme entitlted "Sustainable mangrove use in the Western Indian Ocean region" has been developed and launched in March 2023.
| On-going |
| Policy influencing/advocacy | 2021:
- Nairobi Convention COP endorsed a decision to mandate the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network with support from SOMN partners to develop a Regional Mangrove Action Plan (Decision CP.10/12 (2d))
2022:
- set up and formalisation of Regional Policy Advisory Group, which will be responsible for the development of the Regional Mangrove Action Plan
2023:
- After two years in the making, a Regional Mangrove Vision and a roadmap to the Regional Mangrove Action Plan as mandated by the Nairobi Convention Decision was agreed on | On-going |
| Policy influencing/advocacy | 2021:
- Launch event during IUCN WCC of the Guiding Principles on Sustainable Mangrove Ecosystem Management („Mangrove Principles“), which had been developed throughout the first phase of SOMN. The Mozambiquan and Kenyan government had representatives at the launch event to support the principles and the Malagasy government formally endorsed the Mangrove Principles in the follow-up of the launch.
- UNFCCC Nairobi Work programme (NWP) ocean expert working group collaborated on a policy brief on the considerations of high-quality coastal and marine nature-based solution proposals to the Green Climate Fund and IUCN, WWF, Conservation International and others produced and published a well-recognized option paper "Building on the Ocean-Climate Dialogue: Options for strengthening action on the ocean under the UNFCCC”.
- SOMN policy team in collaboration with the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA), the Global Mangrove Watch (GMW), the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group and the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Research Institute (KMFRI) - published a detailed “Guidance on Mangrove Indicators in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”.
- options paper on Oceans and the Global Stock Take titled “Unpacking the UNFCCC Global Stocktake for Ocean-Climate Action”; this paper outlines the options, means and strategic routes of how ocean-relevant topics and themes can be included, and thus adequately reflected and assessed as a contribution to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement during the 2023 Global Stock Take process. This paper was publicized through a webinar and a side event held at UNFCCC COP26.
- Input into NDC review processes in the WIO region through partners | Completed |
| Policy influencing/advocacy | 2022 cont:
- to influence policy processes under UNFCCC, a number of policy briefs / publication were developed: IUCN with Conservation International, WWF and other partners published an updated version of a well-recognized report originally released in October 2021 under an updated title “Options for strengthening action on the ocean and coasts under the UNFCCC”;
- events held around UNFCCC processes: ahead of the SBSTA-56 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue IUCN, Conservation International and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), with supporting efforts from SOMN, co-hosted a Blue Carbon Reception titled “Coastal Ecosystems in Climate, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development” (SOMN specifically supported the outreach to several WIO government representatives and AGNES); SOMN engaged in the 14th SBSTA Research Dialogue by invitation through two posters: (1) Roots of Hope: The value of mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean region for planet and people building on the 2021 SOMN White Paper on SEPs; (2) Innovative approaches for strengthening coastal and ocean adaptation: Integrating technology and nature-based solutions (jointly with UNFCCC TEC, FEBA and NWP expert group on oceans)
- Several national workshops including policy makers to highlight importance of mangroves in Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania (2021 and 2022)
- Madagascar: organization of multi-stakeholder workshops for the development of the National Mangrove Strategy (now on hold)
- Tanzania: a Conservation Investment Plan (CIP) has been developed with support by SOMN to guide investment decisions for the conservation of Rufiji Delta Mangrove Forest Reserve
- Kenya: contribution towards the establishment of the National Mangrove Management Committee through ToR development and meetings
- Mozambique: Support and input to National Territorial Development Plans, which include the MSP outlining mangroves as areas for conservation prioritisation | Completed |
| Policy influencing/advocacy | International 2022:
- Key side events were organized in the context of the UN Ocean Conference, during which the participation of WIO government representatives was supported by SOMN. Presence at UNOC through international communication campaign, airing of regional mangrove messenger videos highlighting "mangrove champions" in the WIO.
- In the lead-up to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2022, in New York, USA, the SOMN WP1 team contributed to the technical paper oft he EbA and SDGs Working Group of the Friends of EbA (FEBA), coordinated by SwedBio and IUCN, titled - ‘Ecosystem-based Adaptation and the successful implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’ that was launched at the High Level Political Forum.
- highlighting the importance of NbS during the conference, IUCN, Conservation International, WWF, Rare and Ocean and Climate Platform, developed a broad in-depth analysis of 2020/2021 NDCs (incl. mangroves) “Coastal and marine ecosystems as Nature-based Solutions in new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)”, which shall inform the ratcheting mechanism under the Paris agreement, including the GST.
- Contribution to several policy briefs, e.g. “Guidelines for Integrating Ecosystem-based Adaptation into National Adaptation Plans: Supplement to the UNFCCC NAP Technical Guidelines” published by UNEP in March 2022; policy brief produced by the collaboration of the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee, UNFCCC NWP & IUCN on coastal resilience and adaptation technologies titled “Innovative Approaches for Strengthening Coastal and Ocean Adaptation: Integrating Technology and Nature-based Solutions”; The NWP Ocean Expert Working Group also finalized and released a policy brief on the considerations for high-quality coastal and marine Nature-based Solution proposals to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
2022 continued in seperate action. | Completed |
| Scientific/technical activities | 2021:
- Establishment of 2020 baseline for mangrove extent in the Western Indian Ocean through Wetlands International on the Global Mangrove Watch platform
2022:
- Development and Launch of the "State of the Western Indian Ocean mangroves" report; presentation of findings at IUCN WCC, WIOMSA scientific symposium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- 2022 mangrove extent map for Global Mangrove Watch developed. | Completed |
