South-Western Indian Ocean Maritime Spatial Planning (Ocean Metiss)

The Ocean Metiss project is a joint action presented by Regional Council of Réunion Island as a local government in the quality of project coordinator, and the Prefect of the Région Réunion as State Representative, jointly sharing the responsibility of territorial spatial planning, and of the definition of a sustainable strategy for the economic development in the South-Western Indian Ocean Area (SWIO). The project is also supported by the intergovernmental organisation of the Indian Ocean State Islands (Mauritius, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles).

The main goal of the project is to create a complete, integrated status report on existing factors impacting the local economies and ecosystem (fish stocks, as well as other maritime resources such as renewable energies), and to evaluate the potentials offered by the large maritime zone to boost the economic development, by preserving the rich tropical biodiversity of the concerned territories.

The Ocean Metiss MSP project will allow to elaborate a new, horizontal and cross sectoral planning tool, aimed to guide public policies to create a sustainable, integrated, long-term strategy for the SWIO Basin.