Towards COP22: African Ministerial Conference On Ocean Economies And Climate Change

Key Messages

• Blue Economy refers to the sustainable utilization of aquatic resources and their services in order to support livelihoods and inclusive economic development while ensuring healthy ecosystems.
  
• Blue Economy is about fisheries, aquaculture, minerals, energy, transport, trade, seabed mining, tourism and marine biotechnology. It is also about the livelihoods that can be derived from activity in these Blue Economy sectors.
  
• Aquatic resources, resilient coasts and the services they provide are tremendous assets that can be sustainably exploited for the benefit of current and future generations.
  
• The appropriate use and conservation of the resources can contribute to food security, jobs and wealth creation, community resilience, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
  
• Climate change is putting additional pressure on coastal aquatic resources and results in weather-related disasters, sea level rise, changes in water acidity, temperature, and currents, coastal erosion affecting the livelihoods of coastal communities and destroying valuable assets.
  
• Urgent action is needed to build the resilience of the coasts and the people who depend on these resources and use the tremendous potential offered by a thriving Blue Economy.
  
• $50 to 100 billion annually could be received as global benefits with more-effective, science-based management of fisheries.
  
• The World Bank is supporting countries to unlock the potential of the Blue Economy through investments, analytical work and partnerships. In Africa, the Blue Economy is part of the Africa Climate Business Plan, where investment needs of $670 million have been identified in support of fisheries and coastal zone management.

Key Documents

• The Blue Economy discussions have accelerated since “Rio+20”, the 20^th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 20-22, 2012.
  
• The African Union sought to catalyze the development of the continent’s Blue Economy through:
  

• the African Maritime Transport Charter;
• the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy (2050 AIM Strategy); and
• the African Union 2063 Agenda “The Africa We Want” and “African Decade of the Seas”, which interfaces with the UN Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development.

Key Facts

• Over 12 million people are engaged in the fisheries sector alone In Africa. (58% in the fishing and 42% in the processing sector). The employment multiplier effects are remarkable: for every fisherman’s job, 1.04 additional onshore-job is created in Mauritania, while this ratio reaches 3.15 in Guinea, illustrating the potential for further job creation through value chain development.

• Fish is an important source of animal protein. On average, African people eat 9.7 kg of fish per year, which could increase considering the global average of 18.9 kg.
  

• Oceans, coasts, coral reefs, unspoiled beaches attract tourism in Africa. Africa has 13% of the world’s 100 best beaches (CNN). If well managed, coastal areas could become a driver for tourism development.
  
  • Healthy mangroves and coral reefs provide natural protection to coastal population against waves and winds.
    
  • 90% of the world trade is transported by water.
    
  • Offshore oil production accounts for 30% of the world oil production, and offshore gas production for 50% of the world natural gas production.

  Threats from rapid economic growth, mismanagement, and natural factors

  • In 2010, 123 million people, or 39% of the world’s population lived in coastal areas. This population is estimated to increase by 8% by 2020.
  • As a result, the pressure on aquatic resources, including overuse, destruction, and pollution is expected to continue to increase.
  • 31% of fish stocks are overfished and 58% are fully fished (FAO, 2013 data)
  • The world has lost 20% of its mangrove habitats since 1980 due to urban expansion, unsustainable management, and coastal erosion.
  • Coral reefs have declined globally by 38% since 1980 due to destructive fishing, pollution, and other factors.
  • by 2050, plastics will outweigh fish in the oceans (World Economic Forum)

  World Bank as part of the solution
  Investments:

  • The West Africa Regional Fisheries Program (WARFP), covering Cabo Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone, invested $158 million over the past six years with an additional $70 million in the pipeline.
    
  • The South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Program (SWIOFish), covering all SWIO countries with country specific projects in Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tanzania will start with a first investment of $91 million and has $95 million in the pipeline.
    
  • There are many other country investments that aim to transform the livelihoods of coastal communities and boost the Blue Economy.
    
  • Other programs such as the Global Program on Fisheries (PROFISH), a multi-donor trust fund, and a “readiness facility” under planning, also provide resources for project development and implementation.

  Analytical work

  • US$2 million Technical Assistance started in 2016 on Climate Resilience for Livelihoods Dependent on Living Marine Resources in Africa.
  • Preparation of a series of papers on marine living resources and climate change that will demonstrate the cost of inaction on livelihoods and poverty.

  Partnerships

  • The World Bank is have partnered with AU-IBAR, the European Union, FAO, IFAD, the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission and bilaterals such as the governments of Japan and France.