Great Blue Wall (GBW) - building and fostering investments in a regenerative blue economy for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)

The Great Blue Wall (GBW) is a proposed regional programme for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) designed to create a network of regenerative seascapes. Led by the IUCN and targeting nine countries, the initiative seeks to combine nature-based solutions with innovative financing to protect critical blue ecosystems—such as mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs—while fostering a regenerative blue economy. The programme requests USD 200 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with an additional USD 100 million in co-financing, to implement a four-component strategy focusing on policy frameworks, market development, capital flow acceleration, and regional coordination. Key goals by 2031 include the protection of 2 million km² of the ocean in the WIO and the creation of 2 million jobs.

• The programme aims to establish a 'living blue wall' consisting of a connected network of regenerative seascapes, specifically targeting critical blue ecosystems like mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs.
• The initiative targets a total indicative cost of USD 300 million, requesting USD 200 million in grants from the Green Climate Fund and USD 100 million in co-financing.
• By 2031, the programme intends to contribute to the protection of 30% of the ocean in the WIO, covering approximately 2 million km², and the restoration and conservation of 2 million hectares of critical blue ecosystems.
• The programme expects to sequester 100 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030 and aims to support the creation of 2 million jobs in the regenerative economy by 2030.
• The WIO region faces severe ecological threats, including a loss of 30,156 hectares (3.9%) of mangroves between 1996 and 2020 due to unsustainable wood extraction, land clearance, and climate-induced storms and flooding.
• Climate change is causing rapid warming in the Indian Ocean, with sea-surface temperatures increasing by approximately 1°C since 1950, leading to ocean acidification and coral bleaching.
• The programme identifies significant financial barriers, noting that marine and coastal environments receive less than 1% of global climate financing despite their high carbon sequestration value.
• The proposed governance structure includes a Programme Steering Committee (PSC) co-chaired by IUCN and UNECA, National Steering Committees (NSCs) in each country, and a High Level Council composed of Heads of State.
• The programme is structured around four main components: improving enabling environments and policy frameworks, developing the regenerative blue economy market, scaling capital flow through a de-risking platform, and establishing a Regional Support Unit for monitoring and knowledge management.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2023). Great Blue Wall (GBW) - building and fostering investments in a regenerative blue economy for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/30520-great-blue-wall-building-and-fostering-investments-regenerative-blue-economy-western-indian.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Great Blue Wall (GBW) - building and fostering investments in a regenerative blue economy for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). 2023. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/30520-great-blue-wall-building-and-fostering-investments-regenerative-blue-economy-western-indian.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Great Blue Wall (GBW) - building and fostering investments in a regenerative blue economy for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) |date=18 July 2023 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/30520-great-blue-wall-building-and-fostering-investments-regenerative-blue-economy-western-indian.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2023great, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Great Blue Wall (GBW) - building and fostering investments in a regenerative blue economy for the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/30520-great-blue-wall-building-and-fostering-investments-regenerative-blue-economy-western-indian.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }