Conceptual Framework for a Green Economy in a Blue World

Oceans and coasts support irreplaceable natural, social, and financial capital. Coastal areas have relatively dense human settlements.

Coastal ecosystems – such as coral reefs, mangroves, salt marshes, and sea grass beds--are highly productive environments at the interface of land and sea. They protect coastlines, maintain near-shore water quality, serve as nursery grounds for juvenile fish, support tourism, and also act as natural carbon sinks.

These habitats also protect homes, communities, and businesses from storms, sea level rise and storm surges.

The global value of coastal and marine ecosystem services has been extremely difficult to quantify--some estimates place it on the order of trillions of dollars/year.

At the local level these ecosystem services are supporting livelihoods and meeting basic human needs like food and shelter among some of the poorest coastal communities, while at the national level they may be generating hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange from tourism, fisheries and mineral exports.

If managed properly oceans and coasts have the potential to create and sustain wealth for coastal economies, and provide jobs for a growing global population.

With the Global Partnership for Oceans representing an unprecedented commitment to ocean and coastal ecosystem health, there is a unique opportunity for the East Asian and Pacific region to collaborate in identifying practical solutions for some of the most challenging issues currently encountered by implementers in the field.

To promote dialogue and to share knowledge and experiences on coastal and marine ecosystem-based economic development, GRID-Arendal and the World Bank are organizing a series of three interactive video conference sessions. The sessions will highlight opportunities and discuss practical experiences of how ocean ecosystem-based economic development can be sustained and contribute to building strong and climate resilient communities.

The themes of the sessions are as follows:

Session 1: Conceptual Framework for a Green Economy in a Blue World -- Opportunities and rationale as well as practical approaches from case studies (April 2012)

Session 2: Untapped Potential -- addressing the need to value the contribution that ocean ecosystem services can make as a result of a number of reforms or more sustainable management measures, and demonstrate how flows of capital-- from natural to social to financial and back again—can lead to green growth under appropriate governance frameworks (June 2012)

Session 3: Building on Success  -- Selected case studies within the Asia Pacific region which illustrate successful application of policies and practices that effectively capture ocean resource rents to build community wealth and welfare, and their potential for scaling up a Green Economy in a Blue World  (September 2012)