IWC11 CONCLUDES IN BALI WITH A FOCUS ON SYSTEMS CHANGE FOR SHARED WATERS
Dr. Krishnan, Director, Bay of Bengal Programme Intergovernmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), participated in the 11th GEF International Waters Conference (IWC11) was held in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, from 19 to 22 October 2026. Hosted by the Government of Indonesia and organised by GEF IW:LEARN, the conference is the GEF’s flagship learning and exchange event for projects funded under the International Waters focal area. This edition’s theme was “Shared Waters, Transformative Solutions: Enabling Systems Change”. It brought together over 350 freshwater and ocean specialists, project managers, government officials and partners from more than 80 countries, representing nearly 100 active GEF IW projects.
Dr. Krishnan took part in a Special Session: “From Shared Stocks to Shared Futures: Scaling Practical Lessons for Transboundary Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management”, which shared experiences from Pacific tuna fisheries, BOBLME Phase II and GoTFish, the shared Peru–Chile anchovy stock, and circle hook adoption in Barbados. He facilitated a regional discussion on the developments under the BOBLME Project.
IWC11 also gave an opportunity to chart future development pathways for the BOBLME as all project partners and FAO shared their views and priorities. Dr. Krishnan highlighted the recent development in the region on NPOA-SSF, EAFM, shared-stock management and regional fisheries cooperation, and the scope of the future initatives to consolidate these ground works
IWC11 closed with a final plenary and closing ceremony, having provided a valuable platform to share lessons, showcase tools and good practices, and build partnerships for transboundary cooperation.
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