VICTORIA, Seychelles — Former President James Michel has described the Great Blue Wall initiative as a game-changer for the Western Indian Ocean region, in an interview reflecting on the work and progress achieved since he launched the concept of the blue economy. The Great Blue Wall is a major Africa-led initiative to create a connected network of marine protected areas in the Western Indian Ocean to conserve biodiversity, combat climate change impacts, and foster sustainable blue economies.
Mr Michel said the initiative aims to protect 30 per cent of the region’s ocean by 2030, by linking mangrove, coral, and seagrass ecosystems, generating jobs, and empowering local communities. He noted that the Indian Ocean is a biodiversity hotspot, with many undiscovered species and ecosystems, and that a precautionary approach is needed rather than a rush to exploit.
The former president co-launched the Great Blue Wall initiative with Dr Sylvia Earle and the International Union for Conservation of Nature at COP26 in Glasgow. In 2017, he was appointed as a High-Level Champion of the initiative, made by IUCN and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan and the world’s first blue bond, both initiated under his leadership, laid the groundwork for the project.
