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Middle East prioritizes blue economy | |
| Nitin Konde |
The "blue economy," which the World Bank defines as the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem," is seen by many as a fantastic solution to many of humanity's current problems as the world changes rapidly and new needs and issues continue to appear on the global agenda.
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An "emerging concept" that promotes "better stewardship of our ocean or 'blue' resources," as defined by the Commonwealth of Nations.
The blue economy concept is making its way into the region as well.
The National Center for Innovation and Blue Economy was recently opened in Haifa, Israel with the goal of encouraging technology innovation and entrepreneurship in the maritime sector.
Aquaculture, shipping, marine tourism, and marine nature conservation are just some of the projects mentioned in a joint statement from the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Haifa Municipality.
United Arab Emirates and Oman are also working hard to explore these areas, according to Mohammed Baharoon, director general of b'huth - The Dubai Public Policy Research Centre. He acknowledged that current investment levels are low but noted that this is a promising area for future development.
He elaborated on why the four seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula make the blue economy so vital to the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Moreover, "their economic ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific Region are enormous," he said.
Baharoon went on to say that "the blue economy complements all their efforts towards carbon neutrality, energy transition, and economic diversity," establishing blue as the new green.
Haifa is home to the National Center for Blue Economy, and its CEO, Lior Hanuka, runs the show there at HiCenter. Investment in blue economy projects in Israel is also low, he told a media house, but "we are going to change this number to hundreds of millions of dollars, maybe billions of dollars because we do think that the blue economy is going to bring to the table a lot of opportunities to innovate."
Hanuka elaborated, adding that Israeli innovation may extend from the land to the sea, citing examples from AI, ML, cybersecurity, and the agricultural technologies.
"The blue economy conceptualization and financing mechanism, as well as sustainability standards, are now where green finance was 10 years ago," said Gregor Paterson-Jones, managing partner at PJ & Company, a blue and green finance firm.
In an interview with media, he mentioned many important blue economy sectors that have a major impact on sustainable development in the region.
According to Paterson-Jones, the wellbeing of the ocean is crucial to the success of a number of major tourism projects and existing assets. Investment in blue economy-based projects could also boost the region's maritime trade and logistics.
He made the point that progress in the blue economy might determine whether or not the region's energy mix benefits from the exploitation of new fossil fuel discoveries. He also mentioned waste management and alternative energy sources as potential winners.
Paterson-Jones argues that the novel method has the potential to improve water provision in water-scarce regions of the world and to open up new avenues for fisheries and aquaculture in the area.
A further positive aspect of the blue economy, as stated by Hanuka, is that "once you bring the innovation, or build the project, it contributes to all the countries around you, and maybe beyond."
He continued, "and they're looking for our innovation," saying that the Israeli National Center for invention and Blue Economy has already made contact with counterparts in Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco.
He argued that regional cooperation was crucial to the blue economy's ability to effectively combat pressing problems like climate change. It's not enough to only solve problems in one country, as Hanuka put it; "some of the challenges belong to the whole region," he noted.
Baharoon argued that an ocean-based economy means connectivity, which could significantly improve ties between Middle Eastern countries and East Asian countries, in addition to addressing important issues like climate change, food security, energy transition, and economic cooperation.
According to him, "blue waters projects will help create new corridors for moving food, energy, and data," and "marine urbanisation will create people traffic between these two regions," necessitating cooperation on new sorts of governing structures.
The MENA Blue Programme
The cost to society of polluting the ocean is high. The prevalence of plastic debris in the ocean lowers the allure of popular vacation spots. Urban infrastructure is vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and coastal erosion. Approximately 0.27 percent of Morocco's GDP, or US$260 million, is lost each year due to environmental degradation in the country's coastal areas. More long-term economic models need to be developed immediately.
Towards this end, the MENA Blue Program promotes a greener ocean economy. Its goal is to improve countries' ability to create climate-resilient coastal investments and expand the blue economy at the national and regional levels. The World Bank's Program aims to improve marine and coastal ecosystems by assisting countries in understanding the factors that contribute to their decline. MENA Blue examines the economic effects of coastal erosion on a regional scale. It helps the Moroccan government determine how widespread marine plastic pollution is and design a plan to eliminate the problem across the country. Capacity for integrated marine and coastal planning is also developed, and the government is assisted in using natural capital accounting procedures thanks to the Program.
The MENA Blue Program organises various initiatives to assist countries in using the blue economy to rebuild after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank and the Tunisian government collaborate to conduct an assessment of the blue economy and its current state. It helps the Moroccan government assess the pandemic's effect on the fishing industry.
Sustainable maritime industries can boost the economy and protect marine life. To create a more robust, inclusive, sustainable, and efficient (RISE) and blue economy, it is time to reevaluate and reset economic structures and undertake a paradigm shift.
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The Green Blue Deal in a nutshell
It's not easy to get all the players in the Middle East to sit down and talk. There is still no culture of peace in place, and young people on both sides are largely exposed to negative generalisations about the other. However, the fact that climate change and environmental challenges transcend national boundaries makes them powerful tools for fostering regional collaboration. The proposed agreement is not meant to be a comprehensive policy agenda. Instead, it's meant to encourage government agencies to come up with their own "green blue" initiatives.
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There are four main components to the Green Blue Deal:
EcoPeace is in charge of a major water and energy initiative that aims to promote regional interdependence by establishing a desalinated water and solar energy community, with the former coming from Israel and Palestine and the latter from Jordan. Although at first everyone was hesitant of developing such mutual dependencies, nations are beginning to see the benefits of cooperating for their own security objectives. Exploring these possibilities would be beneficial for all parties involved, according to a preliminary feasibility study: Israel would meet its Paris climate commitments; Jordan would increase its GDP by 3-4%; and Palestine would become less reliant on Israel for water and energy.
Modern water technology make it possible to grant Palestinians their water rights without jeopardising Israel's supply. To achieve this equilibrium, Israel must cut its own water pumping while increasing desalination, which currently provides about 70% of Israel's drinking water. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how critical it is to establish conditions in which basic hygiene standards can be maintained, which are currently absent in Palestine, leading to intolerable conditions for Palestinians and causing health problems that spread throughout the region.
Since 1967, Palestine has not had access to the Jordan River, which has led to pollution and excessive water diversion by Israel, Jordan, and Syria. The river serves as a natural boundary between two states, making international cooperation essential to its restoration. A Regional Jordan Valley Master Plan (JVMP) with international backing has developed a plan to restore the entire valley and reap numerous advantages in the process. While it has been accepted by Jordan, it has not yet been embraced by Israel or Palestine due to difficult relations between the three countries. EcoPeace has enlisted the help of the valley's business community to sustain its recent upswing in environmentally conscious initiatives including ecotourism, climate-smart farming, fish farming, and solar-powered refrigeration for local farms, as well as initiatives like grey water reuse and green employment. A planned Jordan River Commission, involving the three riparian states plus potentially Lebanon and Syria, would further enhance regional cooperation.
Educating the public and raising awareness about the role of diplomacy in resolving conflicts and establishing peace in the water and climate sectors
Education has a key role in a troubled region that has been at war for almost fifty years. EcoPeace thinks that through including young people, public support for collaboration may be built together with the next generation of local leaders.
The Green Blue Deal suggests utilising two abundant resources in the Middle East (the sun and the sea) to build confidence and cooperation among nations, lessen the negative effects of climate change on the environment and strengthen national security. In order to do this, EcoPeace Directors Yana Abu Taleb (Jordan), Nada Majdalani (Palestine), and Gidon Bromberg (Israel) suggested focusing on "low hanging fruits" in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The water problem is one of these "low-hanging fruits." The Oslo Accord has provisions about water. The relatively easy problem of shared water management is left unaddressed because parties cannot reach agreement on other topics of the Accord (and so do not sign it). EcoPeace proposes separating water management from other difficult areas in the peace deal in its Green Blue Deal proposal. This should pave the way for future cooperation and foster a culture of peace in which parties view each other as a negotiating partner, leading to improved water management and living circumstances for all. Gives diplomacy in the region a much-needed boost.