Working Group 4.2
Blue Growth & UN Sustainable Development Goal 14
Policy Issues
The United Nations Development Programme Sustainable Development Goal
14 (SDG 14) advances the sustainable use and conservation of the oceans
and requires effective strategies and management to combat adverse
effects on the oceans through overfishing, growing ocean acidification
and worsening coastal eutrophication.
The Blue Growth & SDG 14 work plan is based upon the ongoing work of
Commission 4. It is a diverse and wide ranging topic but the primary focus
for Working Group 4.2 is the development and promotion of measures to
manage our oceans and seas in a sustainable manner based upon accurate
data, sound environmental principles and good management practices.
The Hydrographic Surveyor has a key role in developing an understanding
of our seas and oceans for the wider social benefits and Commission 4 aims
to promote this role, the benefits and offer case studies of participation
and support.
Chair
Gordon Johnston, United Kingdom
gordontjohnston1[at]gmail.com
What we are working on -
- The Working Group 4.2 shall seek to promote and engage with
international government and nongovernmental organisations to increase
the understanding and awareness of the importance of the marine and
ocean areas.
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What's New
The Blue Economy is important as it provides a vital source of food and
benefits from a host of industry sectors, technology and innovation. It
can provide a valuable Return On Income (ROI) for investors. The UN SDG’s,
especially SDG-14 cannot be obtained without a much more systematic survey
coverage of our oceans. The GEBCO Seabed 2030 project has this objective.
(See:
https://seabed2030.gebco.net/ ).
The pressures on limited ocean and sea resources continue. Resilience
to the impact of man, climate or natural disasters needs to be developed
and enhanced. Fifty years ago the Ocean was considered nonfinite and
extractive. Today the Ocean is finite, considered an ecosystem that
requires management to enable Ocean Health to be sustainable. These are
real challenges.
Relating the SDG’s to aspects of the Blue Economy:
It is an enormous, growing market
Every 2nd breath of Oxygen we take is from ocean
organisms
Fundamentally:
Food:
aquaculture/mariculture essential to feed humanity
Water:
97% of earth’s water in the ocean
Ocean energy: inexhaustible, clean, renewable energy
Medicine: Exploring for organisms to seed new drug research
e.g.Seabiotech & Pharmasea in Europe NOAA scientists
have also extracted chemicals from corals & sponges
that fight some of the worst infectious bacteria.
Real estate: Especially around our
coasts with water rising…much infrastructure will
float
- 1,2,5,11,15,16
are directly related to Land issues
- New Urban
Agenda & Rapid Urbanisation
- 1,2,3,6,7,12,13,14 are related to seas and oceans
The WG aim to publish a short paper on the Blue Economy, the role of
surveying and the Hydrographic surveyor in delivering a sustainable clean
ocean for the benefit of all. This aligns with the UN’s SDG’s.
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