Effective maritime domain awareness in the Western Indian Ocean

This policy brief evaluates the state of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Western Indian Ocean, arguing that the region remains overly dependent on international naval forces. It suggests a strategic shift toward low-tech solutions, human intelligence, and better integration between maritime security and the blue economy to build sustainable, regionally-owned capabilities.

• The Western Indian Ocean currently lacks independent regional maritime domain awareness (MDA) structures and remains dependent on international naval forces, such as the European Union’s Naval Force Atalanta (EUNAVFOR Atalanta), for core surveillance and coordination functions.
• Major regional initiatives, specifically the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) and the Programme to Promote Regional Maritime Security (MASE), have seen limited success. Their information-sharing centres have been largely inactive and are hindered by a lack of trust and a reluctance among members to share information.
• The author recommends prioritizing low-tech solutions over expensive, complex high-tech surveillance systems. Effective MDA can be achieved by collating publicly available information, verifying media reports through focal points, and publishing regular analytical reports to build institutional reputation and trust.
• Human intelligence, particularly engagement with coastal populations, is identified as a vital but underutilized source of MDA. The brief cites Pakistan's Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC) as a successful model for using direct dialogue with fisher folk and village elders to gather first-hand observations.
• Regional MDA cannot succeed without a simultaneous investment in national capacities, as regional sharing is ineffective if the national structures providing the data are weak.
• There is a need for political clarification and better coordination between the various overlapping regional initiatives, including DCoC, MASE, the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and the Indian Ocean Forum on Maritime Crime (IOFMC).
• The brief advocates for integrating maritime security with 'blue economy' initiatives. Collaboration between security professionals and those focused on the environment or sustainable development—such as using fishery regulation data—could significantly enhance the shared picture of the maritime domain.

APA

Bueger, C. (2017). Effective maritime domain awareness in the Western Indian Ocean. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-brief104.pdf

Chicago

Bueger, Christian. Effective maritime domain awareness in the Western Indian Ocean. Institute for Security Studies, 2017. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-brief104.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bueger |first1=Christian |title=Effective maritime domain awareness in the Western Indian Ocean |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2017 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-brief104.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bueger2017effective, author = {Bueger, Christian}, title = {{Effective maritime domain awareness in the Western Indian Ocean}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2017}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policy-brief104.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }