Here’s why the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference is so important

In Summary

• Aquatic resources hold immense potential in fisheries, tourism, aquaculture and maritime transportation as well as in the fields of marine biotechnology, renewable (off-shore) energy, extraction of marine non-living resources, seawater desalination, waste disposal management and in supporting activities such as monitoring and surveillance
• The Blue Economy Conference presents an incredible opportunity to investigate the largely unexplored social and economic benefits of aquatic resources, and a chance for Kenya to demonstrate leadership in an area of importance to the region, continent and the world.

Kenya and co-hosts, Canada and Japan are bringing the world to Nairobi for the world’s first high-level conference on the Global Sustainable Blue Economy. Over 13,000 participants will converge at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre from November 26th to 28th 2018 in an effort to discuss practical solutions and actions that can be taken today to sustain and explore the social and economic benefits of the blue economy.

The phrase “blue economy” or more specifically “sustainable blue economy”, refers to the concept of promoting economic growth, responsible production and consumption, social inclusion, and the preservation or improvement of livelihoods in relation to oceans, seas, lakes and aquatic resources while at the same time ensuring their environmental sustainability through the circular economy. A sustainable blue economy discourages the notion of mutual exclusivity between environmental sustainability and socioeconomic development.

Oceans, seas, lakes and other aquatic resources hold immense potential and not just in fisheries, tourism, aquaculture or maritime transportation and related activities; they also present opportunities in the fields of renewable (off-shore) energy, marine biotechnology and bioprospecting, extraction of marine non-living resources, seawater desalination, waste disposal management and supporting activities such as monitoring and surveillance. In all the above mentioned fields or industries, sustainability is the key theme. It is important because the world’s aquatic resources are central to the delivery of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This Agenda includes the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in particular, SDG 14 which touches on “Life below water”.

Despite all the potential that’s inherent in oceans, seas, lakes and aquatic resources, a sustainable blue economy will be nearly impossible to achieve if current challenges are not addressed. Challenges such as unsustainable extraction from marine resources (overfishing is an example), physical alterations of marine and coastal habitats, marine pollution (especially the plastic debris problem), the impacts of climate change, unfair trade and maritime insecurity will all affect blue economy efforts.

On the Kenyan front, it will be prudent to begin the sustainable pursuit of the blue economy while at the same time, mitigating any critical challenges. A recent step in the right direction was President Uhuru Kenyatta launching the country’s newly-formed Kenya Coast Guard Service in Mombasa. Now that the Kenya Coast Guard Act 2018 is in place, the mandate of the coast guard service will be control illegal and unregulated fishing, manage border disputes, curb piracy and keep a watchful eye on the marine ecosystem to avoid degradation.

One huge area of opportunity for the country will be to expand the blue economy areas of interest. According to Dickson Khainga of Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra), Kenya is underutilizing its 230,000 km squared of maritime territory and its 200 nautical miles distance offshore — which is equivalent to 31 of the 47 counties. Kenya’s main areas of interest with regards to aquatic resources have been tourism and fishing. Apart from shifting towards sustainable tourism and encouraging better fishing practices, Kenya could very well venture into waste disposal management to curb marine plastics and supplement the income of coastal communities. The other potential area to pay attention to could be the harnessing of off-shore renewable energy.

Soon after taking the initiative to host the conference, the Kenyan Government embarked on a worldwide fundraising mission quickly meeting the Ksh800 million fundraising target through support from a number of governments — primarily Canada and Japan- and non-governmental bodies. This milestone was and still is a clear indicator of the increasing interest in the blue economy — and not just in how it affects Kenya, but in how it affects the rest of the world. The Sustainable Blue Economy Conference will therefore be a great opportunity for the country.

The main theme of the conference is The blue economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and it will be organized around three key topics:

(i) creating economic growth that is inclusive and sustainable

(ii) ensuring healthy and productive waters and

(iii) building safe and resilient communities

Each topic and sub-topic will explore new technologies, challenges and opportunities, financing and the involvement of women and the youth. There will be over 60 side events to choose from, happening in between high-level forums, symposiums and thematic sessions. Cross-cutting all of that will be the conference exhibition which will showcase trade, science and technology, investment and tourism.

To get involved, you could register for free to be present at the conference or you could join in on the conversations via social media. Registration details and additional information can be found on the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference website here.

This post was first published on Linkedin here.