Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, has lodged a membership application with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), with the hope of gaining support for adaptation to climate change.
Zanzibar faces beach erosion, flooding and high salinity in arable land.
16 May 2012: Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, has lodged a membership application with the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), according to a report sponsored by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).
The IOC promotes the sustainable development of islands in the Indian Ocean. Its current members are Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles.
According to the article, Zanzibar’s key environmental problems related to climate change include beach erosion, flooding and high salinity in arable land. Zanzibar argues that these challenges require different responses than the mainland. It is reported that Zanzibar hopes as that as a member of IOC, it will gain status as a non-UN member small island developing States (SIDS), resulting in technical and financial support to adapt to climate change. [AllAfrica Press Release]