INCOIS Director elected as Chair of UNESCO Indian Ocean panel

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Director T. M. Balakrishnan Nair has been elected as the Chair of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Sub-Commission for the Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), at the second Intergovernmental Session of IOCINDIO, held in Bali, Indonesia, from Monday to Wednesday (October 12-14, 2026).

As Chair of IOCINDIO, Dr. Nair will lead efforts to strengthen collaboration among participating countries and advance shared priorities in oceanographic research, operational oceanography, ocean information services, and the sustainable management of marine resources.

Significance of Indian ocean

Turki Al-Said of Kuwait and Badal Mohammed Rezah of Mauritius have been elected as the Vice-Chairs of IOCINDIO. Indian Ocean is of considerable importance to the countries bordering it, supporting fisheries, maritime activities, coastal communities, marine biodiversity, and economic development.

The region faces multiple challenges associated with coastal and marine hazards, climate variability, changing ocean conditions, and the sustainable use of marine resources. These require sustained international cooperation, reliable ocean observations, scientific research, improved forecasting capabilities, and the effective dissemination of ocean information to governments, scientific institutions, coastal communities, and other stakeholders.

IOCINDIO‘s work

IOCINDIO provides an intergovernmental platform for advancing cooperation in ocean science and related activities. Its work contributes to the broader objectives of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission in promoting international scientific cooperation, improving understanding of ocean processes, and strengthening the use of ocean knowledge for societal benefit, as per an official press release issued on Thursday.