At the recent annual Our Ocean Conference which convened in Mombasa, Kenya — the first time the conference was held on African soil — the Western Indian Ocean received well-deserved attention.

For C4 EcoSolutions, the discussions around marine adaptation and blue carbon in the Western Indian Ocean speak directly to a wider challenge in climate resilience: how to move from promising ideas to practical, financeable action.

From a climate adaptation and sustainable finance perspective, the key questions are clear: where should limited resources be focused, what can be delivered cost-effectively, who has the capacity to deliver, and which finance pathways can scale the interventions sustainably?

Regional networks are an important part of that picture. In the Western Indian Ocean, platforms such as the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) connect marine protected area practitioners and coastal management actors across the region, supporting peer learning, capacity development and collaboration.

Practical prioritisation, capable delivery partners, strong networks and credible financing pathways will all be needed to strengthen long-term resilience across the region’s coastal and marine systems.

The conference in Mombasa provided an important opportunity for regional actors and partners to make connections, exchange knowledge and build momentum around marine conservation, climate adaptation, blue carbon and sustainable finance in the Western Indian Ocean.

C4 remains committed to supporting the development of sustainable marine adaptation and Blue Economy solutions through intervention design, project management and capacity-building.