New Delhi: The Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC) programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has selected 13 ocean innovators from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal Least Developing Countries (LDCs) for the fourth cohort of the Ocean Innovation Challenge (OIC).
The selected innovators will benefit from the financial support of up to US$40,000 and intensive mentorship over six months. Their projects focus on tackling waste and seaweed farming, enhancing community-based ecotourism, empowering coastal communities, promoting sustainable growth while protecting marine ecosystems, and safeguarding biodiversity.
The OIC is funded by catalytic financing from Sida and Norad. UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said, “Heavily reliant on ocean resources yet bearing minimal responsibility for emissions, SIDS confront a myriad of challenges — from the loss of lives and livelihoods to the degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity, and even forced displacement”. “While communities in SIDS have remarkable tools and knowledge to mitigate and adapt to climate change, they often lack access to the means to scale them up, including finance and technology,” he added.
The Ocean Innovation Challenge is committed to delivering at least 100 Ocean Innovations by 2030, and the OIC, with its support from Sweden and Norway, is playing a catalytic role in promoting sustainable and inclusive development through ocean innovation. Peter Thomson, United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, expressed his commitment to supporting and amplifying the impact of ocean innovations. He encouraged partnerships and investments to ensure that these promising solutions are scaled up and shared widely, to benefit communities and ecosystems around the world.