The document shows the ways in which maritime and freshwater ecosystems can transition to cope with climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Billions of people and around $2.2 trillion dollars of GDP are reliant on so-called blue economies tied to water sources and the ocean.
Published by the United Nations and co-authored by researchers at the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute, Sustainable Blue Economy Transition Framework, and covers policy, planning and investment that can protect marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Nature-based solutions are central to the framework, highlighting how protecting and restoring ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, seagrasses and wetlands can deliver multiple benefits, including climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, disaster risk reduction, food security and sustainable livelihoods.
‘The framework places nature-based solutions, participatory governance and whole-of-government cooperation at the centre of decision-making,’ said Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at UNEP. ‘It encourages countries to look beyond short-term gains and consider the wider environmental, social and economic impacts of their decisions. It also helps governments direct limited resources where they can deliver the greatest long-term benefits for people and nature.’
‘Many countries have ambitious blue economy strategies, but turning those ambitions into coordinated action remains a challenge,’ added Dr Antaya March, Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre. ‘This framework helps governments identify where change is needed and provides a structured way to align governance, investment and decision making so environmental protection and economic development reinforce one another.’
You can read the full report here.
Image: Hugh Whyte / Unsplash
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