A view of Lamu from a distance. Photo Courtesy Judy
The Great Blue Wall Initiative has launched the Great Blue Wall Fellowship 2025–26, a year-long programe for local leaders from five Western Indian Ocean countries.
The fellowship equips participants with skills, networks, and visibility to influence policy, inspire action, and share Africa’s ocean story.
This inaugural Fellowship is supported by the Western Indian Ocean Coastal and Ocean Resilience (WIOCOR) project, funded by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM).
The project works with communities, scientists, and policymakers to map, protect, and restore these ecosystems across five countries.
This year’s session will focus on seagrass ecosystems, vital yet often overlooked. WIOCOR recognises seagrass as a cornerstone of socio-ecological resilience.
The Western Indian Ocean is one of the world’s richest marine regions.
It hosts seagrass meadows, coral reefs, mangroves, and productive fisheries that sustain over 60 million people.
Yet these ecosystems face growing threats from climate change, overexploitation, and habitat loss.
Across Africa, communities, scientists, entrepreneurs, and young leaders are already taking action.
They restore seagrass beds, revive coral reefs, protect mangroves, develop sustainable blue economy ventures, and advance inclusive governance through Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs).
But these efforts often remain under-recognised and underfunded in regional and global decision-making spaces.
The Fellowship aims to bridge this gap, ensuring Africa’s coastal innovation and custodianship are heard and supported.
Fellows will gain skills in storytelling, advocacy, and leadership. They will shape narratives, influence policy, and drive action for a regenerative future for both people and nature.
Programme Structure and Opportunities
Fellows will be drawn from five Great Blue Wall seascapes: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Over 12 months, participants will join monthly virtual learning sessions, receive mentorship, sharpen advocacy skills, engage in policy dialogues, and deliver a final project highlighting community-led ocean and seagrass solutions.
The programme is non-residential, allowing fellows to continue their local work while building regional and international networks.
Through mentorship and training, participants will gain the tools to amplify their impact, both within their communities and in broader policy arenas.
Why Seagrass Matters
Seagrass is the ocean’s “unsung hero.” Though it covers just 0.1% of the seabed, it stores up to 18% of the ocean’s carbon.
It feeds millions through productive fisheries, shields coastlines from erosion, and provides habitat for threatened species such as dugongs and green turtles.
By focusing on seagrass, the Fellowship highlights both the ecological and social value of these critical ecosystems.
Fellows will showcase solutions that combine conservation, science, and local knowledge.
Their work will inspire policy change, strengthen local governance, and promote sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities.
Applications are open until 30 August 2025, 23:59 EAT.
The programme is open to individuals actively engaged in ocean conservation, the regenerative blue economy, or nature-based solutions.
To apply, visit: https://forms.office.com/
