“The United Nations Ocean Decade for Africa: the science we need for the ocean we want in Africa”

Abstract

The United Nations Ocean Decade for Africa: the science we need for the ocean we want in Africa” booklet has been published by the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOC AFRICA), UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa. Its production has been coordinated by the Western Indian Ocean Early Career Scientists Network (WIO-ECSN) as part of the implementation plan of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The booklet provides an overview of challenges that need to be addressed in the region in order to achieve “ the science we need for the ocean we want in Africa”. The ten Ocean Decade Challenges (ODCs) are presented in individual chapters, each chapter referring to a specific challenge. The structure of the “challenge” chapters is the same: each starts with a goal, describes a background and details of the challenge. A case study relating to the challenge and a set of recommendations to address the challenge are also presented. The final chapters include a call to action, defining the decade action hierarchy and endorsement process; endorsed Ocean Decade actions in Africa, with a map that provides an overview of current actions; coordinating mechanisms that describe the governance and coordination arrangements for the Decade that will facilitate collaboration across groups of actors to optimize the use of existing structures wherever possible; and the Early Career Ocean Professionals in the Decade presents the ambition for strengthening networking and professional development opportunities with local to global institutions through the framework of the UN Ocean Decade.