WCC 2020 Res 030 - Activity Report

The Regenerative Seascapes (ReSea) project implements targeted capacity-building activities to advance Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation (NbSA) across the Western Indian Ocean. These efforts focus on strengthening the technical and institutional capacities of key stakeholders within critical seascapes, enabling them to design and implement NbSA projects that enhance climate resilience.
Additionally, these activities foster long-term sustainability by establishing networks of NbSA practitioners, ensuring continued knowledge exchange and implementation beyond the project’s duration. Capacity-building sessions also engage policymakers, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to create an enabling policy environment for NbSA.

ReSea is facilitating the development of NbSA networks across the five project seascapes, bringing together key stakeholders, including implementing partners, policymakers, government representatives, local communities, and project beneficiaries. These networks serve as expert groups that guide NbSA in the seascapes, addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in real time.
The project also actively supports the Great Blue Wall initiative, which convenes key stakeholders across the WIO region to advance its three pillars, including coastal resilience to climate change. A recent example of this convening effort was the inaugural Regenerative Ocean Week, held in Dar es Salaam.

ReSea raises awareness on sustainable resource use within the context of climate resilience and NbSA by engaging women and youth across its five seascapes—Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania. These initiatives emphasize the delivery of ecosystem services that support vulnerable coastal communities while preserving ecological integrity.
The project’s communication efforts will amplify local voices by sharing community-driven success stories that demonstrate the tangible benefits of NbSA in building climate resilience.

ReSea is developing demonstration sites for NbSA across its five target seascapes, working in close collaboration with local communities to ensure long-term sustainability. These sites are designed to enhance climate resilience in coastal and marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs.
By implementing best practices, these demonstration sites will serve as scalable and replicable models for NbSA, providing valuable insights and lessons that can be applied across the broader region.

ReSea actively promotes the role of NbSA in delivering gender-responsive climate solutions that integrate ecosystem-based approaches. The project engages in international policy fora, including UNFCCC and CBD COPs, as well as the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), to highlight the importance of NbSA in global climate and biodiversity frameworks.
A key aspect of ReSea’s advocacy efforts is ensuring gender balance in these international discussions. Additionally, at the regional level, the project plays a critical role in advancing the Great Blue Wall initiative while also working to integrate NbSA into local government policies, creating an enabling environment for interconnected seascapes.