The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO has joined the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance as an Institutional Partner, marking a significant step toward accelerating global investment in ocean action and coastal resilience. The partnership aims to scale financial solutions that address ocean risk while strengthening the resilience of coastal and island communities facing climate-driven hazards.
This collaboration reinforces IOC’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14 on life below water, by strengthening connections between ocean science, public policy, and finance. By aligning scientific expertise with financial innovation, the partnership seeks to support more effective protection, restoration, and sustainable use of ocean ecosystems.
Ocean finance remains underdeveloped despite the ocean’s central role in climate regulation, food security, and economic stability. Challenges such as fragmented governance structures, limited availability of risk data, and uncertainty among investors have constrained investment flows. ORRAA works to address these barriers by developing innovative financial and insurance mechanisms that reduce risk and unlock opportunities in the sustainable blue economy.
ORRAA brings together governments, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, and intergovernmental bodies with the goal of mobilizing at least USD 500 million for coastal and ocean natural capital by 2030. Its broader objective is to build resilience for around 250 million people living in climate-vulnerable coastal regions through investments that reduce ocean risk and support sustainable livelihoods.
Through this partnership, IOC contributes scientific leadership, policy expertise, and global coordination capacity to ORRAA’s work. The collaboration will reinforce synergies with existing IOC initiatives focused on ocean science, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction, while supporting the incubation and scaling of tools that link ocean data, risk analytics, and blended finance, particularly in Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal areas.
Projects supported under this alliance include nature-based solutions such as mangrove restoration, coral reef protection, and blue carbon initiatives. These interventions have demonstrated benefits in reducing coastal erosion, buffering storm surges, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity and local economies.
Overall, the partnership is expected to help reduce economic losses from coastal hazards, enhance ecosystem services, and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for vulnerable communities. It also serves as a call for governments, investors, and civil society organizations to collaborate on innovative solutions that safeguard ocean health while strengthening coastal resilience worldwide.
