Ten nations commit to build a massive ‘Great Blue Wall’ to help conserve western Indian Ocean

by Peter Schulte

Ten nations – Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, and France – are building a “Great Blue Wall” of marine conservation areas where industrial fishing and other damaging activities are prohibited, according to Mongabay. The chain of conservation areas located off the eastern coast of Africa will not only protect coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass meadows and the endangered species they support but bolster critical carbon sequestration resources.

The Great Blue Wall initiative, launched in November 2021, is part of a greater effort among the international community to protect 30% of and lands waters globally by 2030. As of now, only 5-8% of waters in the Indian Ocean are protected. The effort is inspired by the Green Green Wall initiative protecting Africa’s Sahel region from desertification through international cooperation and coordination.

The first section of the Wall will be implemented by Tanzania in the Pemba Channel between Zanzibar and the mainland.