In an effort to improve regional cooperation and enhance the regional focus of ICRI’s work, a full day of the ICRI General Meeting will be devoted to issues in the Indian Ocean Region.
9:00 / 10:30 — Coral Reefs and the Indian Ocean
- The evolutionary history of Indian Ocean reefs – a unique region
David Obura, CORDIO - Recent, ongoing and future projects and major stakeholders of the region
- Indian Ocean Commission marine-related work programme activities
Jean-Paul Gaudechoux, Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) - Marine prioritisation process leading to the regional strategy for the conservation of marine ecosystems and fisheries, WIOMER
Remi Ratsimbazafy, WWF - The Western Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge (WIO-CC)
Nimhan Senaratne, Ministry of Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy, Seychelles - The Regional Coral Reef Task Force and the regional coral reef action plan
Ambroise Brenier, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- Indian Ocean Commission marine-related work programme activities
- Discussion on the links between all these initiatives
11:00 / 14:00 — The monitoring of the Coral Reef in the region
Aim of the session: Share the status and activities related to coral reef monitoring in the region, the link to the GCRMN regional node, and discuss on how to integrate GCRMN activities into these activities to enhance the coordination on monitoring activities in the region.
Chair: Jerker Tamelander, UNEP-Coral Reef Unit (CRU)
- Background of GCRMN in the region and Clarification of current node and country coordinators
Jerker Tamelander, UNEP-CRU - Country report
- Comores, Ahamed Soifa
- France, Jean-Pascal Quod
- Kenya, Judith Nyunja
- Madagascar, Jean Maharavo o Rodrigues, Jovani Raffin
- Maldives, Abdulla Naseer
- Mauritius / Rodrigues, Jovani Raffin
- Seychelles, Rodney Quatre
- South Africa, Michael Schleyer
- Tanzania, Rose Sallema
- Existing regional coordination mechanisms
- Coral Reef Monitoring Network developed by the IOC
Said Ahamada, Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) - The CoReMo project (Coral Reef Monitoring)
Jean-Pascal Quod
- Coral Reef Monitoring Network developed by the IOC
- Discussion: role of Node and National coordinators and enhancement of their recognition at country level, and future actions of GCRMN East Africa. The implication of civil society stakeholders could be also discussed.
14:30 / 17:00 — Management and conservation of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean in the light of climate change
- Developing an Implementation Strategy to Prepare the Management and Conservation of Coral Reefs in the Western Indian Ocean for Climate Change
Ambroise Brenier, WCS - The process of IFRECOR The network of observatories of climate change for overseas communities
Michel Porcher, IFRECOR - Climate Change and Coral Reefs Marine Working Group (CCCR) – summary of datasets from the Indian Ocean
David Obura, CORDIO - Management and conservation of coral reefs from climate change: experience of Madagascar
Ambroise Brenier, WCS
17:00 / 18:00 — Special session on the UNESCO World Heritage Marine Programme
Marine World Heritage: A regional comparative assessment of new potential sites in the Indian Ocean
Fanny Douvere, Coordinator
World Heritage Marine Programme