The WIO-LaB project (Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean) addresses the degradation of the marine and coastal environment as a result of land-based activities in the western Indian Ocean region. It aims to:

• reduce stress to the ecosystem by improving water and sediment quality
• strengthen the legal basis for preventing land-based sources of pollution
• develop regional capacity and strengthen institutions and thereby encourage sustainable, less polluting development

WIO-LaB is a partnership between the countries of the western Indian Ocean region, the Norwegian government, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility. It is designed to serve as a demonstration project for the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.

The project involves South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.