Mapping the Indian Ocean Rim Association Through The Underwater Domain Awareness Framework

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is a vital global economic pathway, yet it faces immense challenges including maritime insecurity, environmental degradation, and insufficient integrated data structures. IORA, a dynamic intergovernmental body with 23 member states, aims to foster economic growth and integration through six strategic pillars: Maritime Safety and Security, Trade and Investment, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management, Academic/S&T Cooperation, and Tourism/Cultural Exchanges.

The UDA framework is presented as a solution, offering a complete understanding of the underwater environment by integrating acoustic monitoring, oceanographic data, and coordinated decision models. The paper maps each IORA pillar to the UDA framework, showing how UDA enhances everything from real-time threat monitoring (Security) and navigational efficiency (Trade) to precise fish population monitoring (Fisheries) and early warning systems (Disaster Risk Management).

Challenges for IORA include significant legal and regulatory gaps among member states, economic disparities, insufficient public awareness of marine issues, extensive marine pollution (e.g., microplastics), and severely underfunded maritime infrastructure. The "Way Forward" recommends establishing a Regional Centre of Excellence for UDA, standardizing data sharing protocols, allocating resources to Digital Infrastructure for MSP, and promoting Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to achieve comprehensive security and sustainable prosperity.

• Strategic Role: IORA member states collectively represent approximately 2.7 billion residents, with 90% of global trade shipped through the maritime routes in the region.

• Core Challenges: Obstacles hindering IORA's effectiveness include vast differences in legal/marine enforcement capabilities (some lack fundamental laws for EEZs/MPAs), significant economic factors (only Singapore and Australia are developed), insufficient investment in critical infrastructure (e.g., dry-docking, navigation equipment), and major environmental threats (e.g., microplastic contamination, coral bleaching).

• Holistic Approach: UDA is a multi-stakeholder model for comprehensive understanding of the underwater environment, focusing on Security, Environmental Sustainability, Resource Use, and Disaster Preparedness.

• Technological Integration: Digital tools like GIS and remote sensing are crucial for both UDA and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), enabling systematic resource allocation, conflict resolution, and the development of proactive decision support systems.