MISSION POSSIBLE Transforming to Blue Society

STUDY E F IM O T I R R U A M M MISSION POSSIBLE Transforming to Blue Society Dr. Aneel Salman Amjad Ali Research Study 2021 MISSION POSSIBLE Transforming to Blue Society Research Study, 2021 Dr. Aneel Salman Amjad Ali STUDY E F IM O T I R R U A M M “Whoever rules the waves, rules the world” -Alfred Thayer Mahan (The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1890) Pakistan’s location at the crossroads of civilizations gives it a geo strategic position that About the Authors has allowed it to play an important role as a global player. Pakistan is blessed with 2,90,058 square kilometers of sea waters and a 1047 kilometers long coast. Annually, about 36,000 Dr Aneel Salman is an Ecological Economist from the ships sail through its waters, about 40 per cent of total global ship that sail between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, USA. His industrialized Europe, Hydrocarbon Rich Middle East and the Energy Transporting Asia- areas of research expertise include climate change, behavioural, Pacific Region pass by. This makes Pakistani waters and coastline in general and Port of energy and marine economics, institutional governance, Gwadar in particular, a most viable route of the Belt and Road Initiative. international trade, and public policy. In this respect, Pakistan is in need of a bold and efficient maritime policy-making that can Amjad Ali is an Environmental Economist based in Islamabad. broaden the prospects of our maritime, create much needed awareness on maritime affairs, and rid the nation of ‘National Sea Blindness’ and oblivion, and towards the need of a strong and outreaching navy to complement maritime affairs. Maritime security and prosperity mean not only protecting our ocean of non-traditional threats like terrorism, piracy and other crimes, but also the safeguard of our economic, military and scientific interests. In addition to these, aggressive maritime strategies of our immediate neighbors, that tend to influence and exploit the whole Indian Ocean littoral and beyond, means Pakistan needs to start thinking on the same lines for the sake of both survival and progress. In order to mitigate the gaps in national maritime domain, a need was felt to establish an informal yet professional research and outreach body to focus on the above aspects titled “Marine Echo”. The envisioned body named as “Maritime Study Forum (MSF)”, is established as an informal, independent and non-partisan research institute dedicated to study the emerging role of maritime in international relations, focusing on Indian Ocean and beyond, and on issues having direct/indirect influence or significance for Pakistan. Transforming to Blue Society Research Study, 2021 Acknowledgement Authors: Dr. Aneel Salman, Amjad Ali This paper could not have been developed without the in-depth Designer: Muhammad Umar Zaryab Sadiq and meticulous editorial support of Ms. Zehra Afreen Sayyid. Cover Graphics: Designed by Freepik Islamabad, 2021 Table of Contents Abstract 6 Introduction 7 Pakistan And Blue Economy 13 System of National Accounting (SNA) Framework of Pakistan 18 Sustainability Framework of Blue Economy for Pakistan 25 Way Forward 26 Conclusion 26 Recommendations 27 to increase the economic growth and create jobs opportunities (Wenhai et al., Abstract Introduction 2019) ocean is becoming the new focal point of economy in the discourse on The concept of Blue Economy is based on the idea of welfare economics and is 1.1 Importance of Blue Economy growth & sustainable development at presented as an inclusive model of a sustainable economy. However, the idea the national & international levels. occupied the center stage of the mainstream Economics only after it received Currently the world is facing so many high acclamation in the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. The policymakers, thereafter, problems related to the economic According to United Nations (UN) started promoting the concept of blue growth, especially in the island economies development like hunger, poverty, assessed the economic value of ocean and in the countries that have significant coastlines and maritime areas. The geometric progression of population, around $ 3 to 6 trillion per annual and Ocean is becoming a new focal point in the discourse on growth and sustainable security issues, food security and the seventh largest economy ever development at the national & international levels where shifting resources from climate change. To overcome since. It is contributing in many sectors scarcity to abundance. A Sustainable Ocean Economy emerges when economic these problems, the exploitation of of the economy including more than activity is in balance with the long-term capacity of ocean ecosystems to support natural and economic resources has 300 billion people who are directly this activity and remain resilient and healthy. When it comes to the blue economy, it drastically increased over the time, dependent upon coastal and marine has many sectors in Pakistan such as shipping, ports, seafaring, fishing, aquaculture, which upsurges the pressure on it. resources for their livelihood and 200 shipbreaking, coastal tourism and offshore basins. Pakistan is already on the road million people who are employed of blue development as a signatory of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Now, the world communities are directly and indirectly in the marine In this respect, SDG goal has 14 calls for the steps towards the conservation and looking forward and moving towards fisheries. Ocean also helps to mitigate sustainable use of ocean resources. Pakistan has fully acknowledged this goal and “Blue Economy” and try to achieve the climate change impact and 50 included it in its vision 2025. This vision 2025 recognizes the need for sufficient and the sustainable economic growth. percent of anthropogenic carbon cost-effective resource building for sustainable growth. However, the idea occupied the center dioxide (CO2) are absorbed and stage of the mainstream economics captured by the ocean. Unfortunately, however, the world economy is yet to take account of ocean-based only after it received high acclimation and ocean-related activities in the national income accounting system. First of in the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. The 1.3 Historical Importance of Blue all it requires a proper development of the evaluation methodology of marine policymakers, thereafter, started Economy ecosystem services. It also requires an effective administrative structure in this promoting the concept of blue growth, regard. Since South Asian countries possess enormous ocean resources, they have especially in the island economies and Historically, most of the ancient a tremendous opportunity to include the blue economy in their national income in the countries that have significant civilizations of the world have been accounting and they may lead the global economy towards this direction. The coastlines and maritime areas. raised from that region or place, importance of incorporating the blue economy in the national accounting system, where the water resources were however, lies elsewhere. As soon as it can be incorporated, the economy will be 1.2 What is Blue Economy? found abundantly like Mesopotamia gaining importance for the government and national policy makers as because civilization, which started at the it will then open up a new avenue to alleviate the eternal problem of income and The concept of blue economy (BE) Euphrates and Tigris River, China employment all over the world especially in the developing and underdeveloped have multiple features. It is a macro- civilization at Huang He River, and world. economic concept which elaborates Indian civilization at the Indus River. the different aspects including This paper attempts to compute the Gross Marine Product (GMP) of Pakistan economic growth and development, From 1660 to 1783, the sea power was and construct a framework for ocean led economic growth specific to the case environmental protection and established at the time of “Alexander of Pakistan building from comparative examples. Subsequently we look into the conservation, international and the Great” and those countries having applicability of such framework within the national accounting system in Pakistan national communication & governance a strong commercial and military and the potential challenges faced in this transition. and sustainability. command on the sea has been leading in the economic strength and wealth Keywords: Blue Finance, Ocean Economy, Sustainable, Blue Society It is an integration of blue growth and power and same as in the World War sustainable economic growth. Blue 1 and World War II by Germany and JEL Codes: E01, Q01, D61 economy is a policy tool of planning Japan (Mahan A.T, 2010). Therefore, for development which highlights the the history of different civilizations coordination between marine eco- and wars has clearly explained the system and coastal economic zone importance of water resources for the system. The policy tool means in order economic power. Transforming to Blue Society 6 7 Transforming to Blue Society 1.4 Islamic Importance of the Blue youth and citizens from Europe to in the process of transformation of legitimized by the natural sciences and Economy participate in an open dialogue and the coastal economy into the blue made to appear harmless by politics.” shared knowledge of the societal issues economy, influenced by the blue While earlier, the government and Islam has also explained the related to the ocean. In other words, a growth positively. The blue society has other sectors may have been able to importance of water, some 1400 years vision for society has been developed raised an awareness related to the calculate risks and relate solutions to ago and taught us that it purifies the where people get the benefits from societal benefits from the ocean and clear-cut outcomes, because of the earth and sustains the life on earth. the ocean with massive potential built a narrative at the public and policy simplicity of the principles of social order. Allah says in Surah Al. Nahl, verse : 65, while protecting its environmental level.

Load more