“Bahari Itatufikisha popote — the ocean leads us anywhere. If the ocean connects us and so much life on Earth, then as we think about our efforts to protect it, we have to use that same logic of connection.”— Dr. Susan Gardner, Director, Ecosystems Division, UNEP.
At the WIOMSA 2025 Symposium in Mombasa, Dr. Susan Gardner delivered a powerful keynote on nature as the basis of resilience. She emphasized how UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme and the Nairobi Convention unite countries in the Western Indian Ocean to achieve global commitments through regional action.
Her message: protecting our ocean requires the same spirit of connection that the ocean itself embodies. By valuing ecosystems, we can tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and build a more resilient future.
Watch Dr. Gardner’s full Blue Session here:
