Southern Africa’s maritime interests are considerable: its oceans and ports are essential to the wealth of the region, are crucial for trade and are an important source of employment, food and energy. However, regional governments do not place sufficient attention on the Blue Economy and its potential to stimulate economic growth. Of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, goal Number 14 (Life Below Water) is the least funded. Less than 1% of Official Development Assistance goes toward this goal, and even private investment and funding from philanthropic organizations is grossly inadequate to meet Africa’s blue economy needs. It is vital for the international community to face up to the challenges of Africa’s Blue Economy and start working on solutions and for southern Africa’s Blue Economy policies and goals to be expanded. Just as sustainable development green initiatives show promise, so too could Blue Economy projects and activities. Southern Africa’s rich coastal and marine resources need to be managed on both a national and regional level if they are to be used in a long-term, sustainable way. This book provides, for the first time, a concise study of the constraints and opportunities that the Blue Economy offers for southern Africa and the role that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) could play in fostering a sustainable use of its ocean and coastal resources.

The blue economy, comprising coastal and marine resources, offers vast benefits for sub-Saharan Africa: of the 53 countries and territories in the region, 32 are coastal states; there are 13 million sq km of maritime zones; more than 90% of the region’s exports and imports come by sea; and the African Union hails the blue economy as the ‘new frontier of African renaissance’. Despite their importance, the region’s coastal and marine resources have been neither fully appreciated nor fully utilized. They are only now being recognized as being key to Africa’s potential prosperity. As the region grows, it has, in general, not taken adequate safeguards to protect these valuable resources. That is partly because some of the problems (pollution, for example) are regional and know no borders. All too often, short-term gains are made at the expense of the long term (overfishing, for example). This book provides, for the first time, a study of the constraints and opportunities the blue economy offers for sub-Saharan Africa. It includes an introduction and overview; sectoral analyses (including tourism, fisheries, mineral resources, culture, shipping and maritime safety); country case studies; and analyses of regional and international efforts towards better coastal zone and marine management.

This informative book examines the intellectual property (IP) provisions of the sub-regional and continental Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that have been implemented in Africa to facilitate trade and promote economic integration. Michael Blakeney and Getachew Mengistie Alemu explain how FTAs can be used when setting IP standards in order to influence the ongoing effort to develop effective international agreements with Africa.

"Illusions of Location Theory: Consequences for Blue Economy in Africa" questions the relevance of ‘location theory’ in explaining the coastal-hinterland continuum and the implications for the utilization of blue economy ecosystem in such a contested space in Africa. It pays more attention to territorial contestations, maritime disputes, vulnerabilities of landlocked states, and expansionist policies as displayed through spatial organizational regimes. These areas of investigation have previously been largely studied from the narrow perspective of ‘location’, unduly focusing on comparative advantages of ‘distance’, while neglecting the influence of ‘forces’ such as technology, ideology, and the power of mental mapping in spatial decision making. This volume puts forward the argument that the harmonious relationship between states, and efficient exploitation of the blue economy ecosystem in ways that promote peace between states, lies not only in the structural transformation of markets, but also in bridging the spatial and social divide between the coastal and hinterland societies. Thus, this work proffers possibilities for a holistic regime for managing Africa’s coastal-hinterland continuum through innovative strategies such as SMART blue economies and the infusion of the geopolitical dimension into the management of maritime and territorial diplomacy. The combination of theoretical and empirical analysis, buttressed by in-depth case studies of what works in the management of blue economy ecosystem and what does not work, make this volume ideal for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in African regional studies, African political economy, political geography, strategic military studies, governance of seas and oceans, and maritime science/diplomacy.

The Topic Editors Stephanie Brodie, Christopher Cvitanovic, Maria Grazia Pennino, Jon Lopez and André Frainer declare that they are members of the IMBeR (Integrated Marine Biosphere Research) network and IMECaN (Interdisciplinary Marine Early Career Network) and are collaborating with the IMBeR research community.

This book serves the purpose of documenting and promoting African experiences on sustainable development, which encompasses both, formal and non-formal education. Sustainable development is very important to Africa, but there is a paucity of publication which documents and promotes experiences from African countries. Due to their complexity, the interrelations between social, economic and political factors related to sustainable development, especially at universities, need to be better understood. There is also a real need to showcase successful examples of how African institutions are handling their sustainability challenges. It is against this background that this book has been produced. It is a truly interdisciplinary publication, useful to scholars, social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies and private companies, undertaking research and/or executing projects focusing on sustainability from across Africa. As African nations strive to pursue the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is imperative to cater for the information needs seen across the continent and foster the dissemination of experiences and case studies, which may support both, on-going and future efforts. The scope of the book is deliberately kept wide, and we are looking for contributions across the spectrum of sustainable development from business and economics, to arts and fashion, administration, environment, languages and media studies.

As humanity enters the Anthropocene epoch the oceans are more at risk than ever before as a result of the increased exploitation of its resources. The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world comprising 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. The sea lanes in the Indian Ocean are among the busiest in the world with more than 80 percent of global seaborne trade in oil transiting through the Indian Ocean and its vital chokepoints and an estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. The importance of this region cannot be underestimated and there is no doubt that there are many opportunities for economic growth and job creation presented by the waters washing the shores of the Indian Ocean Rim. In order to ensure a desirable future for humanity it is necessary to make use of the ocean’s resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. Climate change is affecting the Indian Ocean negatively, placing a strain on the ability to ensure food security and damaging the economies of small island states that depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Increasing ocean temperatures and ocean acidification are taking a toll on ecosystems. This book is the first of its kind, providing fresh insights into the various aspects and impacts of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Region: from shifting paradigms, to an accounting framework, gender dynamics, the law of the sea and renewable energy, this handbook aims at increasing awareness of the Blue Economy in the Indian Ocean Region and to provide evidence to policy-makers in the region to make informed decisions. The contributions are from a mixture of disciplines by scholars and experts from seven countries.

The economic paradigms currently dominating the world are not sustainable. The threats from climate change, exploitation-based approaches to commerce, and the excess acquisition of resources loom large as well as the possibility of military flare-ups. Maintaining a balance between development and ecosystems, aspirations for growth, and the need for sustainability is a prescient challenge. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) encompasses some of the poorest countries in the world and those that will bear the brunt of the negative impacts from climate change. This book explores the immense potential of the IOR and how best to maintain sustainable and responsible economic and strategic activities. The combination of science, innovation, and entrepreneurship will create a new blue economy business model, which has the potential to transform society. Based on critical analysis of the model and its practical applications, including risks as well as opportunities, the topics discussed range from food security, energy, and resilience to climate change, trade and investments, and improved maritime connectivity to tourism, poverty alleviation, and socioeconomic growth, encompassing a wide range of interests and expertise. FEATURES Examines the geo-politics, geo-resources, and geo-hazards of the IOR and identifies opportunities and methods to achieve success Covers a detailed assessment of available resources (fisheries, minerals, energy), threats such as pollution (plastic, acoustic, carbon, bio-invasion), geo-politics (maritime security, military invasion), and strategic vision (determining carrying capacity, ethical governance, and responsible ecosystem) of the Indian Ocean Analyzes the economics of the blue economy, the global scenario including the Pacific and Caribbean islands, and the aspect of the Chinese geo-political invasion in the Indian Ocean Inspires entrepreneurs to adopt new ways of creating economic benefits, reducing energy use, and increasing revenue while simultaneously helping the communities involved Discusses the threat and security perspectives of the IOR and the collective responsibility for a sustainable use of resources Crossing a wide range of interests and expertise, this book explores topics and ideas that will be essential to researchers and professionals in marine sciences, economics, business, geography, and political sciences. Graduate students in the same fields as well as any and all organizations that maintain a presence in the IOR will likewise find this book to be a valuable resource.

This book uses extractive industry projects in Africa to explore how political authority and the nation-state are reconfigured at the intersection of national political contestations and global, transnational capital. Instead of focusing on technological zones and the new social assemblages at the actual sites of construction or mineral extraction, the authors use extractive industry projects as a topical lens to investigate contemporary processes of state-making at the state–corporation nexus. Throughout the book, the authors seek to understand how public political actors and private actors of liberal capitalism negotiate and redefine notions and practices of sovereignty by setting legal, regulatory and fiscal standards. Rather than looking at resource governance from a normative perspective, the authors look at how these negotiations are shaped by and reshape the self-conception of various national and transnational actors, and how these jointly redefine the role of the state in managing these processes for the ‘greater good’. Extractive Industries and Changing State Dynamics in Africa will be useful for researchers, upper-level students and policy-makers who are interested in new articulations of state-making and politics in Africa.

In the last decade, the concept of a Blue Economy has ignited a deep theoretical debate. Ranging from the integration of the triple bottom line of sustainability to the optimization of profit from ocean exploitation, the meaning of the term blue economy differs considerably between epistemic communities and even more so among national and regional policies. There is a general sense of the opportunity to realise enhanced social and economic benefits from the sustainable utilisation of their ocean and coastal resources under the umbrella framework of blue economy. Blue economy is gaining traction already as a significant component of national policies, even in spite of a clear conceptualization of the term. Many countries are now preparing national policies towards realising their blue economy ambitions, utilizing the concept as they see fit. Likewise, multilateral and regional organisations are developing guidelines, and providing investment in new research, technologies, and financing tools that promote blue economy. Critical challenges abound, in particular in less privileged countries. These include the gap in research capabilities, governments prioritizing social wellbeing and economic profit in contrast to environmental protection, the identification of new and emerging areas of ocean economic activity that are both socially and ecologically sustainable and holds viable business models that can attract private investment.