{"id":8498,"date":"2025-09-05T07:16:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T11:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdgnews.com\/?p=8498"},"modified":"2025-09-05T07:16:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T11:16:47","slug":"eu-commits-e59-million-to-blue-economy-projects-in-13-west-african-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdgnews.com\/ar\/eu-commits-e59-million-to-blue-economy-projects-in-13-west-african-nations\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Commits \u20ac59 Million to Blue Economy Projects in 13 West African Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"

EU-backed initiative aims to test pilot projects across 13 countries as coastal pressures mount<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fishing boats still line the harbors from Nouakchott to Monrovia, but the catch is thinner, the storms harsher, and the coastline more fragile each year. For millions in West Africa, the ocean is both lifeline and threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to these mounting pressures, the European Union has committed \u20ac59 million to the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme (WASOP), a five-year initiative spanning 13 countries from Cape Verde to Nigeria. Managed in part by Expertise France, the program seeks to seed a sustainable blue economy across the region \u2014 one that can absorb climate shocks while driving inclusive growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A regional experiment in governance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WASOP is structured around multiple pillars, with \u20ac28.5 million dedicated to Pillar 2: Supporting an innovative and sustainable blue economy. Expertise France will coordinate this component, designed to provide technical services and expertise that can turn pilot projects into replicable regional models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A call for proposals is scheduled for November 2025, inviting non-profit organizations from across the 13 target countries \u2014 as well as international partners \u2014 to submit projects. The focus will be on ideas that are innovative, inclusive, and sustainable, with potential to be scaled across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The areas flagged are wide-ranging: from green ports and resilient infrastructure, to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, to marine renewables, blue carbon, biotechnology, and ecotourism. Each is framed as both a response to climate pressures and a pathway for job creation and economic diversification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why timing matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The initiative lands at a moment of heightened urgency. West Africa\u2019s marine ecosystems face a convergence of pressures: overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and increasingly volatile climate impacts. Rising sea levels and shifting ecosystems threaten food security for millions who depend on fisheries, while coastal cities face mounting risks from flooding and storm surges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, new opportunities are emerging. Offshore wind and wave energy hold potential to meet rising energy demand, while blue carbon projects<\/strong> using mangroves and wetlands are attracting attention from global investors seeking credible natural climate solutions. Marine biotechnology, once marginal, is now seen as a frontier for pharmaceuticals and sustainable materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a region often locked out of large-scale climate finance, the pilots launched under WASOP could provide proof-of-concept for how international funding, local expertise, and inclusive governance can align.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is being called in<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Expertise France has opened a preliminary consultation<\/strong> ahead of the November call. Non-profits with existing or potential projects in the 13 countries are invited to signal interest by mid-September, helping build a database of capable partners. The consultation is designed not only to publicize the coming call but also to sharpen understanding of the types of proposals likely to emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Themes prioritized include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n