The One Ocean Hub is an international programme of research for sustainable development, working to promote fair and inclusive decision-making for a healthy ocean whereby people and the planet can flourish.
The One Ocean Hub is led by the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK), and it has 18 partner organisations and 21 research partners across the world. The Hub is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) – a key component in delivering the UK AID strategy that puts UK-led research at the heart of efforts to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
SAERI is a One Ocean Hub Project partner, and is inputting into 2 areas of the programme. One area focusses on Namibia, where SAERI and our in-country partner – the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) were successful in securing a flexible fund project to undertake an economic valuation of the marine environment in Namibia.
The decision on which aspect to value was made through an in depth, in country stakeholder engagement which identified three areas of interest, with blue carbon emerging as the top priority. Research into the value of Blue Carbon in Namibia’s waters is now being undertaken.
SAERI will continue to work with NNF to deliver a tourism valuation, and to look at Blue Carbon over the next 2 years in more depth.