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The Eastern African region also referred to as the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), has some of the world's most valuable coastal & marine ecosystems. The region's mangrove forests, seagrass beds, seashores, lagoons and coral reefs provide essential habitats for a rich biodiversity of species.
The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region extends from Somalia in the north to the Republic of South Africa, covering 10 States, five of which are island States in the WIO.
The Nairobi Convention provides a mechanism for regional cooperation, coordination and collaborative actions, and enables the Contracting Parties to harness resources and expertise from a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups towards solving interlinked problems of the coastal and marine environment. The Nairobi Convention plays a coordinating role in the implementation of a series of intervention projects developed under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) environment initiative.
The Convention offers a legal framework and coordinates the efforts of the countries of the region to plan and develop programmes that strengthen their capacity to protect, manage and develop their coastal and marine environment sustainably. The aim is to stem any further degradation of the marine environment and to reverse the degradation and destruction of critical habitats.
The East African Action Plan was adopted in 1985 and came into force in 1986. It has by now been ratified by all ten East African countries.
The Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region was also adopted in 1985 and came into force in 1996. The Eastern African Regional coordinating Unit, (EAF/RCU) in Seychelles, formally adopted in 1997 the latest link in a consolidated approach to the protection of the marine environment of the region.
Associated protocols concern: Protected Areas and Wild Fauna & Flora (adopted 1985, in force 1996), Marine Pollution (adopted 1985, in force 1996).
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Partnerships between the Nairobi Convention and regional non-governmental organizations such as The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) have encouraged government focal points to work together with NGOs to share expertise and experience with an aim of stemming the multitude of problems associated with unplanned urbanization and poor regulatory regimes.
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