RT Report
T1 Marine and Coastal Area Development in the East African Region: UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 6
T2 Mise en valeur du milieu marin et des zones cotieres dans la region de l'Afrique de l'Est - PNUE: Rapports et etudes des mers regionales No. 6
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
A1 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
K1 East Africa
K1 environmental aspect
K1 sea level
K1 marine ecosystem
K1 coastal area
K1 marine area
K1 island
K1 natural resource
K1 health hazard
K1 fishery
K1 tourism
K1 ocean
K1 environmental management
K1  Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
K1 Natural Resources
K1 Regional seas
YR 1982
FD 1982
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31367
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/31367
NO The coastline of the Western Indian Ocean includes the East Coast of Africa and the islands of the Western Indian Ocean, Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles. There is a broad geographical similarity in the characteristics of the coastal areas of the continental mainland from Mozambique well into Somalia, although the specific characteristics of the coastal areas on the continent differ to a considerable extent from place to place. Since Madagascar la also generally characterized by continental-type coastal features due to the effects of large-scale riverine inputs of fresh water and sediment derived from its large upland catchment areas, the coasts of East Africa and Madagascar can be treated together as continental-type coastlines. In the East African Region, these coastlines are broadly characterized by alternating regimes of beaches arid rocky outcrops with fringing coral reefs, and large estuarine areas characterized by delta formation and extensive growth of mangroves. While the fishery resources of the continental shelf itself tend to be rather limited although by no means fully exploited currently - due to the generally narrowness of the shelves, the mangrove areas are rich in crustaceans including crabs and other species, which are primarily taken on a subsistence basis in the wetlands, but predominantly multiple species of shrimp.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 16, 2026