Launch of Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Programme (SWIOP) at Our Ocean Conference 11

At the Our Ocean Conference, we celebrated the strategic launch of the Sustainable Western Indian Ocean Programme (SWIOP), a major milestone in the European Union’s commitment to strengthening ocean governance, advancing a sustainable blue economy, and building coastal resilience across sub-Saharan Africa.

SWIOP joins a growing portfolio of regional initiatives, including WASOP (West African Sustainable Ocean Programme), ODEBAC (Sustainable Ocean and Blue Economy in Central Africa), and the BBCA (Blue Benguela Current Action) programmes, extending support across Africa’s diverse marine and coastal regions. 

As cross-cutting initiative across Africa, OPERA complements and supports these programmes by strengthening capacities to produce and provide access to ocean data and knowledge in the framework of the African Regional Centres of Excellence programme and contributing to the mission of the OceanPrediction DCC. By transforming data into actionable insights and feeding downstream information services, OPERA helps drive coordinated action, evidence-based decision-making for a sustainable development and a resilient ocean future.