Africa's "Blue Economy" key to a sustainable future: New policy handbook shows the way

By GRID-Arendal

April 4^th, 2016

Africa’s vast lakes and ocean resources are key to the future wealth and sustainable development of the continent – if properly used.

Traditional approaches to development focussed only on economic outcomes and were measured only in terms of how much a country’s economy grew. Environmental, social and other considerations didn’t count.

But these days thinking about development is changing. The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has put together a Blue Economy Policy Handbook for Africa, to be launched at the inaugural African Development Week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this weekend.

“This is a roadmap to harness African waters in order to propel the continent‘s structural transformation,” says GRID-Arendal’s Chief Scientist, Yannick Beaudoin.

Beaudoin and Kristina Thygesen from GRID-Arendal helped develop the handbook. He says the idea behind blue economy is to focus on the sound use of resources linked to water bodies.

“It makes sense to think differently about how marine areas are used given that 38 of the 54 African nations are coastal states,” Thygesen explains.

More than 90 percent of Africa’s imports and exports are conducted by sea. Freshwater and ocean fish make a vital contribution to the food and nutritional security of over 200 million Africans.

The Blue Economy covers oceans, seas, coasts, lakes, rivers, and underground water. It comprises a range of productive sectors, such as fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, transport, shipbuilding, energy, bio-prospecting, and underwater mining and related activities.

The policy handbook on Africa’s Blue economy argues that the development of the Blue Economy requires a move from the current sectoral approach to policy formulation that is multi-sectoral, integrated, and participatory at multiple levels.

The handbook offers comparative experiences and examples of policy focussed on the blue economy can be created. It includes case studies from the Seychelles, which has a Ministry devoted to the Blue Economy, to South Africa which has launched an operation expected to create 1 million new jobs by 2030.

The Policy Handbook on Africa‘s Blue Economy will be available for download on ECA website. Follow the ECA meeting and launch on social media using #AfricaBlueEconomy @GRIDArendal.