Framework for mainstreaming climate change into African Blue Economy Strategies to enhance adaptation, mitigation, and resilience in sustainable development

Patrick Karani, Pierre Failler, Asmerom M. Gilau

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Abstract

This article outlines a framework for mainstreaming climate change into African blue economy strategies. We under-score 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 suatinability are at the center of the blue economy frontier. The surrounding blue economy components have led into discrepancies on 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 blue economy realignment. In doing so this article provides the continental, regional and national assessments of blue economy im-plementation 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 step-wise 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 ap-proach entails a collective action process for an informed decisionmaking to direct, guide and inform actions for cli-mate change that will effectively and efficiently enhance adaptation, mitigation and resiliency anchored to sustainable development. The It establishes linkages to blue economy strategies through an integrated approach. The article ad-dresses the question how 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 pro-cess of mainstreaming, drawing on the countries and regional blue economy strategies, that have made progress on development of blue economy strategies, plans, guidelines and frameworks for governance coordination mechanism In clonclusion, the article states that mainstreaming climate change in Africa reflects on a complex pathway of pro-cesses and stakeholders that need to be taken into consideration in further research, with particular focus on institu-tional policy change, administrative structures and transformation.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages29
JournalAmerican Journal of Climate Change
Volume12
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Sept 2023

Keywords

  • climate change
  • blue economy
  • adaptation
  • mitigation
  • resiliency

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