Healthy oceans will create waves of prosperity

THE Malaysian marine environment is renowned for its biodiversity and unique ecosystems, which include mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses, and its natural resources contribute to sustainable development.

However, human development activities have placed a severe strain on the marine environment’s resilience and resources.

Increased pollution and coastal development are among the causes of biodiversity loss and changes in ecosystem services, such as food security and ecological function.

Sustainable oceans are associated with human wellbeing and increased awareness of ocean resilience, which has increased gradually since the

United Nations General Assembly established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in 2015.

As a United Nations member, Malaysia demonstrated commitment to a sustainable ocean by 2030 by incorporating the SDG14 (life below water) implementation into the 11th Malaysia Plan for the 2016-2020 term.

SDG 14 has 10 goals that focus on the health of the seas and their living resources.

Malaysia, in line with the international community, has agreed on each target for ocean conservation and sustainable development to keep ecosystems healthy and productive.

As a result, it is critical to conserve, restore and safeguard the diversity and functioning of marine ecosystems, which may contribute to the achievement of SDG 14.

The art of ocean health and resilience is linked to the blue economy, which strives to manage and conserve marine ecosystems sustainably.

The blue economy notion evolved from the concept of green growth in response to growing concern about the considerable harm being done to ocean systems because of overfishing, habitat destruction, marine pollution, ocean acidification and climate change.

The blue economy is concerned about the effective and equitable use of resources and places a premium on sustainable development that does not degrade the environment.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development study in 2020 said the blue economy accounts for 3.5 to seven per cent of global gross domestic (GDP) product, now valued at US$1.5 trillion and predicted to reach US$3 trillion by 2030.

Malaysia will gain from the blue economy in terms of job generation and economic growth. The blue economy contributed up to 23 per cent of Malaysia’s GDP.

Hence, the blue economy idea was incorporated into the 12th Malaysia Plan.

The government must adopt a strategy for managing blue economy development to ensure proper management of Malaysia’s ocean.

A more sustainable balance between economic growth and ocean health maintenance must be established and implemented.

A shift to a blue economy would maximise the potential of the marinebased economy while also alleviating poverty and decreasing environmental degradation.

Maintaining a balance between the two aspects is vital for a functioning society, continuous progress and ensuring a sustainable ocean by 2030.