The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is strengthening support for community-led nature-based solutions (NbS) across the Western Indian Ocean, helping island communities adapt to climate change while conserving globally important coastal and marine biodiversity.

Through its Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Indian Ocean programme, CEPF supports civil society organisations, community groups, universities and local partners in Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles to protect and restore ecosystems that provide essential services such as coastal protection, freshwater regulation and sustainable fisheries. 

Launched in 2021 with a US$38 million investment, the programme places local communities at the centre of climate adaptation efforts. More recently additional funding of €9.4 million from the European Union is helping expand work aimed at reducing the vulnerability of island populations by securing the ecosystem services on which they depend. 

A key focus is supporting local organisations to implement ecosystem-based adaptation measures, including the restoration of mangroves, wetlands, coral reefs and seagrass beds, alongside sustainable livelihood initiatives and improved management of coastal and terrestrial ecosystems. 

In Seychelles, CEPF-funded actions target priority biodiversity sites and support community-led restoration of degraded coastal ecosystems and watersheds. In Comoros, CEPF and its partners are also investing in capacity building for local practitioners working directly with communities exposed to climate-related risks such as sea-level rise, flooding and coastal erosion. 

For stakeholders working in the Sustainable Blue Economy, the programme provides a strong example of how local communities can drive adaptation through ecosystem restoration, sustainable fisheries management and stewardship of coastal and marine biodiversity. As one participant in a recent CEPF-supported Ecosystem-based Adaptation training in Comoros noted: “This training allowed me to strengthen my knowledge on EbA and motivated me to take action in my region.”  With climate pressures intensifyimg across the Western Indian Ocean, such community-based approaches are increasingly recognised as an essential component of resilient and nature-positive development.

REFERENCES

CEPF - Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Indian Ocean

CEPF - Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in the Indian Ocean - Programme Data Sheet

TROPICAL BIOLOGY ASSOCIATION - Masterclass in Ecosystem-Based Adaptation, Comoros (2025) 

CEPF - Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Island Biodiversity Hotspots