Early ocean encounters can spark a lasting sense of wonder – and a deeper recognition – to help reframe ocean conservation as not just a coastal issue, but a continental one.
When Autone Mululuma began advocating for ocean protection in Zambia, the response was often baffled curiosity.
“We are landlocked. How does this matter to us?” It’s a question he enjoys answering, often using it to open minds.
As a High Seas Youth Ambassador and founder of Zambia for Ocean, Mululuma turns it into an entry point for broader conversations, reframing ocean conservation as not just a coastal issue, but a continental one.
“The ocean’s health is our health,” he told participants during the recent 32nd Tipping Points webinar hosted by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC).
He recalled how, in 2023, Zambia was hit with one of its worst dry spells in recent memory. The source of the crisis? An ocean phenomenon thousands of kilometres away.
“It was attributed to the El Niño,” Mululuma said. “It impacted our agricultural systems, our livelihoods, our food security . . .”
Joining Mululuma on the panel were Zandile Ndhlovu, founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation in South Africa (SA), and Olusola Adeoye,…
