East Africa Region

Regional Initiatives

• Improving livelihoods by conserving nature

  WWF vision: Conserve the globally-important habitats and thousands of unique species that help sustain the livelihoods of over 30 million people in Coastal East Africa.

• MFF: Mangroves For the Future

  Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a unique partner-led initiative to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development. It provides a collaborative platform among the many different agencies, sectors and countries who are addressing challenges to coastal ecosystem and livelihood issues, to work towards a common goal.

  
  MFF builds on a history of coastal management interventions before and after the 2004 tsunami, especially the call to continue the momentum and partnerships generated by the immediate post-tsunami response. It focuses on the countries worst-affected by the tsunami; India, Indonesia, Maldives, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. However, MFF will also include other countries of the Region that face similar issues, with an overall aim to promote an integrated ocean wide approach to coastal zone management.

   

  The initiative uses mangroves as a flagship ecosystem in recognition of the destruction caused to mangroves by the tsunami, but MFF is inclusive of all coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, estuaries, lagoons, sandy beaches, sea grasses and wetlands. Its long-term management strategy is based on identified needs and priorities for long-term sustainable coastal ecosystem management. These priorities emerged from extensive consultations with over 200 individuals and 160 institutions involved in coastal management in the Indian Ocean Region.

   

  MFF seeks to achieve demonstrable results in influencing regional cooperation, national programme support, private sector engagement and community action. This will be achieved using a strategy of generating knowledge, empowering institutions and individuals to promote good governance in coastal ecosystem management.

• Sylvia Earle Alliance - Hope Spots

  Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean, Earth's blue heart. Some of these Hope Spots are already protected, while others are important enough that it is imperative that they be protected. About 12% of the land around the world is now under some form of protection (as national parks, world heritage sites, monuments, etc.), while less than one percent of the ocean is protected in any way.