From January 19 to 25, 2026, Zanzibar hosts a crucial regional meeting dedicated to emergency response to marine pollution in the Western Indian Ocean. Experts, operational managers and decision-makers from ten countries are mobilizing to strengthen coordination and preparedness for marine pollution incidents.
The facts are chilling: the risks of pollution of the seas and oceans are increasing dangerously, under the combined effect of increasingly frequent extreme climatic events, the growth of world maritime trade, the evolution of marine fuels and the significant increase in the capacity of container ships. In the face of these growing challenges, regional cooperation is an absolute necessity.
Organized by the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, in partnership with the UK’s Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the meeting aims to safeguard the livelihoods of fishermen and coastal communities by advancing a pragmatic and operational regional framework.
For Raj Mohabeer, project manager at the Indian Ocean Commission, there is only one solution to this situation. “Joint work with all organizations, and in particular the sharing of best practices on a regional scale, is essential to the implementation of an effective and sustainable response to marine pollution”, he confides.
Throughout the meeting, participants will thus work to finalize a strategic framework to guide coordinated responses to major incidents, such as oil spills. The Regional Contingency Plan for Preparedness and Response to Marine Pollution Incidents will then be submitted to the 12ᵉ Conference of the Parties to the Nairobi Convention in 2026.
Beyond the technical aspects, the meeting will lay the foundations for a multi-year roadmap integrating scientific data, gender equality, social inclusion and local community knowledge. This first step will be backed up by accredited training courses on hazardous substances, which will strengthen regional response capabilities.
An initiative that reaffirms the region’s commitment to protecting marine ecosystems and preserving a healthy ocean for future generations!
