The 4th phase of the Institutional Strengthening for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)- an advanced international training programme on planning for a sustainable blue future in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)- is underway in Zanzibar. Previous phases of the programme were held in Sweden in February (phase 1); on an online platform (phase 2); and in Mozambique in April 2023 (phase 3).
Organised by a range of international partners, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat and WIOMSA, the training programme aims to build long-term capacity in MSP in the Western Indian Ocean. 44 national MSP experts and facilitators from Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Somalia, and Mauritius; with five participants and one national facilitator per country are undertaking all 4 phases of the training.
Themed on the Blue Economy (BE) and the role of MSP, day one of the training featured discussions that included understanding components of BE; and the limitations and possibilities of MSP in the participating countries. Speaking at the gathering, Zahor El Kharousy from the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries in Zanzibar, gave an insightful overview of the Blue Economy in Zanzibar.
The training will strengthen national and regional collaboration platforms for long-term networking cooperation and MSP development; improve national capacity to collaborate across sectoral boundaries; apply holistic goal-driven spatial planning; and improve institutional capacity for data and knowledge management implemented in MSP.