Framework for Mainstreaming Climate Change into African Blue Economy Strategies to Enhance Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilience in Sustainable Development

This article outlines a framework for mainstreaming climate change into African blue economy Strategies. We underscore that the proliferation of the blue economy in climate change has gained momentum, however, there remains no standardized approach, mechanism or framework for mainstreaming and integrating climate change into blue economy. The economic pillars of economic development, social equity, and environmental management, conservation and sustainability are at the center of the blue economy frontier. The surrounding blue economy components have led to discrepancies in how the blue economy is mainstreamed, integrated, implemented and what is prioritized on agile basis. This article takes a continental overview of current approaches to regional and national levels of blue economy realignment. In doing so this article provides the continental, regional and national assessments of blue economy implementation approaches, through the development of a stepwise innovative process. Using the available literature, data and information from blue economy strategies and other publicly available online information, we analyzed each region and national blue economy strategies to assess the levels of blue economy components mainstreamed into climate change. Throughout this article we outline the methodological approach we took in order to develop a stepwise process innovation for mainstreaming climate change into blue economy at national and regional levels This approach will allow for ongoing and continued mainstreaming and integrating of climate change into blue economy realignment, operationalization and implementation as the concept of blue economy continues to evolve. The approach entails a collective action process for an informed decision making to direct, guide and inform actions for climate change that will effectively and efficiently enhance adaptation, mitigation and resiliency anchored to sustainable development. It establishes linkages to blue economy strategies through an integrated approach. The article addresses the question “How does mainstreaming climate change into African blue economy strategies contribute to achieving sustainable development?” The methodology is based on desk-top study and literature review. This explores the process of mainstreaming, drawing on the countries and regional blue economy strategies, that have made progress in development of blue economy strategies, plans, guidelines and frameworks for governance coordination mechanism. In conclusion, the article states that mainstreaming climate change in Africa reflects a complex pathway of processes and stakeholders that need to be taken into consideration in further research, with particular focus on institutional policy change, administrative structures and transformation.

Blue economy:A new era of petroleum microbiology in a changing climate

The productivity and health of our ocean hold some good solutions to the world’s challenges in socio-economy.However,climate change and waste discharge are changing the marine capacity to buffer human impacts,further challenging the marine industry,primarily in offshore oil and gas,shipping,and fishery operations.These encourage the blue economy,a sustainable development approach to utilize marine resources.Petroleum microbiology dealing with microbes that can respond,degrade,and alter crude oils,offers an unprecedented opportunity to achieve the knowledge-and science-based blue economy.However,the new-era petroleum microbiology for supporting the blue economy has yet to be systematically discussed.This review introduces the climate change impacts on key marine industrial sectors,highlights the critical role of advanced petroleum microbiology in supporting sustainable development,and offers insight into the challenges and future research opportunities in availing of petroleum microbiology for benefiting our marine environment and responsible economic growth.

A Blue Economy

East China’s Shandong Province is utilizing local marine resources to promote its economic

The Struggle for Atlantic Maritime Security and Safety:Lessons From Africa’s Maritime Security Governance

The enormous economic potentials of the blue/ocean economy have made the maritime domain increasingly susceptible to transnational organized crime and a theater for great power competition,particularly in the Atlantic maritime domain.The maritime security threats are more prevalent in the Atlantic African maritime domain than in other continents.These threats are becoming increasingly detrimental to the African security,safety,and human security,particularly in the coastal countries of the Atlantic Africa.Despite its increasing susceptibility to maritime security threats including great powers competition and the presence of non-Atlantic great powers more than in other maritime domains in Africa,the coastal countries of the Atlantic Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)have managed to forge strategic inter-regional maritime security partnership that has relatively improved maritime security and safety in the region.There is a growing interest in forging inter-continental partnership of the coastal Atlantic states to collectively respond and address the shared maritime security threats in the entire Atlantic maritime domain.Yet,the way such a complex multilateral partnership would be structured and operationalized has not been worked out.This article assesses the economic potentials,susceptibility to maritime security threats,and level of response to maritime security threats by the coastal countries of the Atlantic SSA with the aim of identifying some lessons that could be relevant for forging the Atlantic inter-continental maritime security partnership.Some of these lessons include genuine partnership that is based on sovereign equality and inter-dependence,a code of conduct,cooperation,and coordination framework,and shared common value system of democratic governance.