The Blue Economy – Handbook of the Indian Ocean Region, 2018

As humanity enters the Anthropocene epoch, the oceans are more at risk than ever before as a result of the increased exploitation of its resources. The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world comprising 20% of the water on the Earth’s surface. The sealanes in the Indian Ocean are among the busiest in the world with more than 80 percent of global seaborne trade in oil transiting through the Indian Ocean and its vital choke points and an estimated 40% of the world’s offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. The importance of this region cannot be underestimated and there is no doubt that there are many opportunities for economic growth and job creation presented by the waters washing the shores of the Indian Ocean Rim. In order to ensure a desirable future for humanity it is necessary to make use of the ocean’s resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. Climate change is affecting the Indian Ocean negatively, placing a strain on the ability to ensure food security and damaging the economies of small island states that depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Increasing ocean temperatures and ocean acidification are taking a toll on ecosystems. This book is the first of its kind, providing fresh insights into the various aspects and impacts of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Region: from shifting paradigms, to an accounting framework, gender dynamics, the law of the sea and renewable energy, this handbook aims at increasing awareness of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Region and to provide evidence to policy-makers in the region to make informed decisions. The contributions are from a mixture of disciplines by scholars and experts from seven countries.

Introduction: The Beginning of the Journey

SECTION I: CONTEXT AND THEORY OF THE BLUE ECONOMY

Chapter 1: The Blue Economy and the Theory of Paradigm Shifts

Chapter 2: The Blue Economy: Theory and Strategy

Chapter 3: Towards Estimation of the Blue Economy: An Accounting Framework for IORA

Chapter 4: Achieving Sustainability in the Context of the Blue Economy

Chapter 5: Integrating a Gender Perspective into the Blue Economy

SECTION II: Indian Ocean Governance and Policy Frame

Chapter 6: Convention on the Law of the Sea and Blue Economy

Chapter 7: African Governance Perspectives of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Rim

Chapter 8: Challenges of Indian Ocean Governance: The Context of the Seychelles

Chapter 9: IORA’s Policy Framework on the Blue Economy

SECTION III: THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE BLUE ECONOMY

Chapter 10: South Africa’s Ocean Economy and Operation Phakisa: Lessons Learned

Chapter 11: Fisheries and Aquaculture Employment Generation in the Indian Ocean Region

Chapter 12: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in the Indian Ocean Region

Chapter 13: Tourism Development in the Blue Economy: Challenges for Indian Ocean Rim Countries

Chapter 14: Ocean Renewable Energy

SECTION IV: CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND TECHNOLOGY

Chapter 15: Climate Change and the Blue Economy of the Indian Ocean

Chapter 16: Marine and Bio-resources in the Indian Ocean Rim Association

Chapter 17: Ocean Health in the Blue Economy

Chapter 18: Environmental Sustainability and the Ocean Economy: A Case Study of Mauritius

Conclusion: