WIO Mangrove Network

What WIO Mangrove Network does

The Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network (WIOMN) is an autonomous, non-profit regional association founded on 5 October 2011 in Mombasa, Kenya, and headquartered at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It serves as the dedicated regional forum uniting mangrove scientists, managers, and policy makers across nine Western Indian Ocean member states (Kenya, mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Somalia, South Africa, and Seychelles), and operates under a constitution that grants it perpetual succession and legal existence independent of its members. Its mandate is anchored by the Nairobi Convention (COP 10 and COP 11), which tasks WIOMN with developing and validating the Regional Mangrove Action Plan (RMAP) for the WIO region.

WIOMN's core offerings are a coordinated portfolio of mangrove conservation programs, regional research publications, training resources, and policy advisory services. Flagship projects include the BMZ-funded Bengo Project ('Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean Region'), which targets Kenya, Madagascar, and Tanzania, and the WIOSAP project addressing the Rufiji Delta (53,255 hectares, 46% of Tanzania's mangrove coverage). Knowledge products span the State of the WIO-Mangrove Report 2022, the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Restoration Book, the Mangrove Research and Training Forest (MRTF) Documents library, and the Sustainable Livelihoods Activities Directory. Underpinning these is a standardized mangrove assessment and monitoring methodology promoted across member states, plus capacity development delivered through training programs, workshops, and the 2025 Regional Policy Advisory Group (RPAG) meetings.

WIOMN is funded primarily through grants and donor funding — with BMZ (via SOMN II/III and the Bengo Project), USAID, UNEP, US Forest Service, IUCN, WWF, WIOMSA, Wetlands International, and the Nairobi Convention as key partners and sponsors — supplemented by membership dues across seven tiers (Individual, Institutional, Fellow, Associate, Honorary, Corporate, Student). Day-to-day operations are run by a small secretariat (~10 staff including a Regional Secretary, Finance and Administrative Officer, Operations Assistants, and Coordinators), supported by a Board of Trustees with country representatives from all nine member states. The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan formalizes the network's vision and implementation roadmap.

Name

WIO Mangrove Network

Legal name

Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network

Website

https://wiomn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WIOMN is a non-profit regional association, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Zanzibar, that unites mangrove scientists, managers, and policy makers across nine Western Indian Ocean countries to deliver conservation programs, standardized monitoring, and policy advisory under a Nairobi Convention mandate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional mangrove conservation and marine environmental services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Environment, Climate & Sustainable Development IGOs (BPADAAAI)

Keywords

• Mangrove conservation services
• Regional environmental network
• Marine science capacity building
• Coastal policy advisory
• Ecosystem management research

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanzibar

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant and Donor Funding: Primary revenue is grant-funded project work, notably the 'Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean Region' (Bengo Project) funded by BMZ (Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), and support from Save Our Mangroves Now (SOMN II/III) initiative, with partners and sponsors including USAID, UNEP, US Forest Service, IUCN, WWF, WIOMSA, Wetlands International and the Nairobi Convention.
2. Membership Dues: Membership-based revenue via seven membership categories (Individual, Institutional, Fellow, Associate, Honorary, Corporate, Student) for nationals, institutions, companies and students engaged with mangrove research, conservation and management in the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WIOMN operates a regional non-profit network that coordinates mangrove conservation, research and policy advisory work across nine Western Indian Ocean countries. It delivers flagship conservation projects (Bengo Project, WIOSAP), produces scientific publications and guidelines, runs a tiered membership programme for scientists, institutions and students, and convenes policy advisory meetings mandated by the Nairobi Convention to develop the Regional Mangrove Action Plan.

Product overview

The Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network (WIOMN) operates as a single unified non-profit platform offering a coordinated portfolio of mangrove conservation programs, research publications, training resources, and policy advisory services for the WIO region. Its core offerings center on flagship projects such as the Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean Region (Bengo Project) and WIOSAP for the Protection of Land-based Sources and Activities, complemented by knowledge products like the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Restoration Book and the State of the WIO-Mangrove Report 2022. The network also maintains governance and strategy artifacts including the WIOMN 2023–2027 Strategic Plan and the WIOMN Constitution, supported by supporting modules such as the WIOMN Membership Program, the Mangrove Research and Training Forest (MRTF) Documents library, the Sustainable Livelihoods Activities Directory, and convenings like the WIOMN Regional Policy Advisory Group (RPAG) Meeting that together serve member countries' research, capacity-building, and policy coordination needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the Western Indian Ocean Region (Bengo Project) Flagship BMZ-funded regional programme promoting sustainable mangrove use in Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania through the BENGO framework, targeting national conservation authorities and coastal stakeholders in the Western Indian Ocean.
• WIOSAP for the Protection of Land-based Sources and Activities Conservation project addressing the Rufiji Delta in Tanzania (53,255 hectares, 46% of national mangrove coverage) that protects land-based sources and activities affecting mangroves and supports the livelihoods of surrounding communities.
• WIOMN Membership Program Tiered membership programme offering Individual, Institutional, Fellow, Associate, Honorary, Corporate, and Student categories for nationals of the WIO region and external stakeholders engaged in mangrove research, conservation and management.
• State of the WIO-Mangrove Report 2022 Flagship regional mangrove status report covering the Rufiji Delta in Tanzania; published as a Report (2022-11-30) and available as a 14.39 MB PDF download.
• Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Restoration Book Reference publication focused on mangrove restoration practice and guidance across the Western Indian Ocean region, hosted on the WIOMN site as a downloadable resource.
• WIOMN Regional Policy Advisory Group (RPAG) Meeting Three-day convened meeting of the Regional Policy Advisory Group held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to review and validate the draft Regional Mangrove Action Plan (RMAP), with RPAG members, the WIOMN Board of Trustees, Secretariat, country representatives, the Nairobi Convention Secretariat, and other mangrove experts.
• Mangrove Research and Training Forest (MRTF) Documents Filterable document repository of mangrove research and training materials covering Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania, including areas such as Rufiji Delta, Lamu, Maputo Bay, Limpopo Estuary, Zambezi Delta, Ambaro Bay and Mahajamba Bay, with publication types including Report, Book and Journal Article.
• Sustainable Livelihoods Activities Directory Directory of sustainable livelihood case studies across WIO member countries, filterable by country (Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mainland Tanzania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Zanzibar) and livelihood type (Animal husbandry, Beekeeping, Carbon Credit Projects, Eco-tourism, Handcrafts, Horticulture, Mariculture, Small business and trade, Sustainable coastal agriculture, Sustainable fisheries).

Quantifiable outcome

• 53,255 hectares of mangroves in Tanzania's Rufiji Delta (46% of national mangrove coverage) covered by WIOMN-supported project work
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship institutional partner, core strategic partner, major institutional partner, flagship initiative and host institution.

• Nairobi Conventionflagship institutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNairobi Convention Secretariat is a core institutional partner and co-driver of WIOMN's mandate from COP 10 (now updated through COP 11). Co-convened Regional Policy Advisory Group meetings.
• WWFcore strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF listed as Key Partner and Sponsor; co-executes mangrove conservation work in the WIO region, including the West Coast Mangroves Project in Madagascar led by Board Chair Dannick Randriamanantena.
• IUCNcore strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN listed as Key Partner and Sponsor; WIOMN Regional Secretary Dr. Mwita Marwa Mangora is a member of the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group.
• WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Sciences Association)core strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIOMSA listed as Key Partner and Sponsor; multiple WIOMN board/secretariat members are active WIOMSA members and co-deliver marine science capacity development in the region.
• Wetlands Internationalcore strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerWetlands International listed as Key Partner and Sponsor of WIOMN, supporting wetland and mangrove conservation alignment.
• UNEPmajor institutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP listed as Key Partner and Sponsor; supported UNEP/GEF Blue Forest projects for assessment of mangroves degradation on carbon storage in the WIO region.
• US Forest Servicecore strategic partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Forest Service listed as Key Partner and Sponsor of WIOMN, supporting forestry and mangrove management work in the region.
• Save Our Mangroves Now (SOMN II / SOMN III) Initiativeflagship initiativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) initiative that initiated the Regional Mangrove Action Plan process and supported WIOMN's RPAG work; transitioned to BENGO ('Sustainable Use of Mangroves in the WIO Region').
• University of Dar es Salaam - Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS)host institutionImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWIOMN Secretariat is hosted at IMS Buyu Campus in Zanzibar; multiple IMS staff serve as WIOMN board members, country representatives and operational staff.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Western Indian Ocean Marine Sciences Association (WIOMSA): Sister regional network in the Western Indian Ocean focused on marine science, research and capacity building. WIOMSA shares WIOMN's geographic footprint, member-country model, and overlapping board members, but covers the broader marine ecosystem rather than mangroves specifically.
• Mangrove Action Project: International NGO dedicated exclusively to mangrove conservation, education and community-based restoration. Comparable to WIOMN in mangrove-only focus and community-livelihood orientation, though operating globally rather than being regionally mandated.
• Blue Ventures: Marine conservation organisation working on community-based fisheries, mangroves and coastal livelihoods in East Africa and Madagascar. Comparable to WIOMN in combining mangrove science with sustainable livelihoods, though driven by direct field programmes rather than a regional convening mandate.
• CORDIO East Africa: Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean is a marine research organisation operating across the WIO region with comparable country-level partnerships and a focus on coastal ecosystem monitoring, climate resilience and livelihoods, overlapping WIOMN's mandate on mangroves and adjacent habitats.

Others

• Nairobi Convention Secretariat: Intergovernmental secretariat for the Nairobi Convention that mandated WIOMN under COP 10 and COP 11 to develop the Regional Mangrove Action Plan. Functions as a regulator/convener rather than a peer network, but is the upstream institutional counterpart to WIOMN's RMAP work.
• WWF Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office: Major conservation partner of WIOMN executing large-scale mangrove and coastal programmes in Tanzania and the WIO (e.g., West Coast Mangroves Project in Madagascar led by WIOMN's Board Chair). Functions as both funder and parallel implementer to WIOMN's regional policy work.

Broad incumbents

• Wetlands International: Global NGO focused on wetland conservation and wise use, with active mangrove programmes in Africa. Listed as a key partner and sponsor of WIOMN and shares the wetlands/mangrove conservation mission at a global rather than WIO-specific scope.
• Global Mangrove Alliance: Global coalition of NGOs, governments and researchers working on mangrove conservation. It operates at a much larger scale than WIOMN and overlaps on mangrove science, restoration and policy advocacy, but lacks WIOMN's WIO-specific regional mandate and country-representative structure.
• IUCN Eastern Africa Regional Office: Hosts the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group of which WIOMN's Regional Secretary is a member. Overlaps with WIOMN on mangrove science, species assessments and policy inputs in the WIO region but at a much broader conservation portfolio scale.

Emerging players

• Mangrove Capital Africa: Africa-focused initiative developing community mangrove carbon projects, with advisory group overlap into WIOMN's board (e.g., Prof. Celia Macamo). Comparable in pursuing mangrove-based carbon finance and livelihoods outcomes, but operates project-by-project rather than as a regional mandate network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WIO_MangroveNet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WIO_MangroveNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100091065424863
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/western-indian-ocean-mangrove-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/wio_mangrovenet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about WIO Mangrove Network