The Blue Economy involves a variety of economic sectors that are central to the prosperity of these countries, including capture fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, marine construction and transportation. The fishery and tourism sectors alone contribute tens of billions of USD to the GDP, provide tens of millions of jobs and over 50 percent of animal-based protein needs. Over the last decades new techniques for coastal restoration have been developed, which provide for enhanced coastal resilience through cost effective nature-based and inclusive solutions. An integrated and multi-sectoral blue economy strategy will contribute to higher revenues from marine and coastal activities and will be key for equal opportunities and livelihoods, healthier oceans and coastal ecosystems that can sustainably generate services and products and maintain biodiversity. This will require improved spatial planning in marine and coastal areas, including establishment of marine protected areas and reduction of pollution, including from plastics. It will also require stronger partnerships and international knowledge sharing on Blue economy solutions.
This session will enable the sharing of some government plans and perspectives from Asian and Pacific countries on their blue economy ambitions, learning about the vulnerability of countries in the region to sea level rise and sharing of lessons about inclusive and nature-based solutions for enhancing coastal resilience and economy. In the Post Covid era, recovery packages need to be structured to promote livelihoods and jobs, while strengthening long-term coastal ecosystem resilience.
