As part of its mission to offer continuous professional development opportunities to its global community of IOI Alumni and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), the International Ocean Institute (IOI) hosted its third Alumni CPD Webinar of 2025, titled “Governance for Resilience: Showcasing Nature-Based Solutions in Ocean and Climate Policy.”
Moderated by Cosmin Chivu, Project Officer at IOI Headquarters, the webinar explored the growing importance of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in supporting ocean and climate resilience. The session brought together experts and practitioners from across the globe to discuss how ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and wetlands can be integrated into governance frameworks, marine spatial planning, and coastal adaptation strategies.
Opening the event, Joseph Flynn, Founder of OZEAON and Lead of a UN Ocean Decade–endorsed project, provided a scene-setting presentation on the state of the art in Nature-Based Solutions. He explored the scientific, policy, and governance foundations of NbS and discussed how open science, data accessibility, and inclusive policy frameworks can bridge the gap between research and implementation.
This was followed by a Mediterranean case study presented by Alessio Marrone, Research Support Officer at the University of Malta’s Department of Geosciences, who shared recent results from Posidonia oceanica restoration initiatives within Maltese waters. Alessio's presentation illustrated how ecosystem rehabilitation efforts are contributing to coastal protection, biodiversity recovery, and carbon sequestration within the region.
The second half of the webinar highlighted mangrove restoration as a Nature-Based Solution, featuring perspectives from four regions and programmes across the ECOP Network and TERRE Policy Centre:
- Dr Mathew K Avarachen (NTNU, Norway) and Dr Sreelekshmi S (CUSAT, India) offered a comparative view of mangrove ecosystems across tropical regions — from India and the Maldives to Tanzania and Ghana — underscoring their ecological value, blue carbon potential, and role in climate adaptation.
- María Schoenbeck (Coastal Solutions Fellow, Guatemala) presented the Alas y Raíces Resilientes project, demonstrating how hydrological rehabilitation, reforestation, and the active participation of women are strengthening mangrove governance in local communities.
- Melyn Abisa (Youth4Nature, Kenya) shared insights from the INUKA Nature-Based Solutions Project, highlighting youth leadership and innovation in community-led mangrove restoration at Tudor Creek, Mombasa.
- Sagar Lakhotiya (TERRE Policy Centre, India) discussed community buy-in and long-term sustainability in restoration projects, showing how environmental awareness, renewable energy access, and local livelihoods can foster trust and lasting engagement.
Throughout the session, speakers emphasised the critical role of governance, inclusion, and local ownership in ensuring that Nature-Based Solutions move beyond pilot projects to become integral components of ocean and climate policy.
The event attracted participants from across the IOI Alumni and ECOP networks, fostering a vibrant exchange on integrating science, community engagement, and policy to advance ocean resilience.
The full recording of this webinar will be available here.