India views the ‘Blue Economy’ as a driver of growth and focuses on three factors: (1) sustainable development; (2) the centrality of the oceans as the font of all life on Earth; and (3) minimal (tending to zero) degradation of the environment.
However, the concept of Blue Economy is not realised by the efforts of one nation alone. Sustainable development impacts all countries in the region. Several studies have already been conducted and the way forward for adopting such an approach is reasonably certain. These would include integrating SAGAR and SAGARMALA as a regionally-inclusive collaborative construct, extending the SAGARMALA program to neighouring countries, creation of a Swatch Sagar program, joint working group on SDG 14 for India’s next ‘National Voluntary Review’ Report, share the findings of the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) and Online Oil-Spill Advisory System which is designed to track the level of marine pollution along the coastline, with regional countries.
The Fourteen Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) that have been identified for development under National Perspective Plan of Sagarmala Programme (2016-2035) is one pillar of the future Blue Economy. Other pillars are sustainable fisheries, protection of mangroves, better first and last mile connectivity with notonly to the major ports but at least a few dozen minor ports etc.
The early transition to a Blue Economy development Model is now a necessity.