Unlocking full potentials of the blue economy: are African SIDS ready to embrace the opportunities?

Abstract

The ocean and coastal zones are of great importance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the emerging concept of the “Blue Economy” based on the original development within the UN of the concept of the “Green Economy”. The Blue Economy advocates the same desired outcome as the Green economy namely: “improved human wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UNEP, 2012). The objective of this is report is to examine the importance of the BE for African SIDS and the future challenges and opportunities this sector entails for African SIDS. As there is no global blue economy strategy currently this report also adds to the global blue economy strategy for SIDS in general.