The Nexus Between Blue Economy and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Literature Review and Mapping Study

To Achieve a Sustainable Blue Future, Progress Assessments Must Include Interdependencies between the Sustainable Development Goals

Purpose: Kenya's strategic position on Africa's eastern coast makes its blue economy essential for national development. This study analyzes the relationship between sustainable maritime logistics and the potential of the blue economy to promote social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted, synthesizing scholarly research, industry reports, and policy documents on maritime logistics and its contribution to Kenya's blue economy. The analysis focuses on key dimensions such as port infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and technological innovation. Results: The study finds that efficient maritime logistics enhance trade efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and support sustainable practices, thus maximizing the blue economy's potential. However, challenges remain, including limited port capacity, inefficient customs processes, insufficient cold chain infrastructure, and gaps in workforce training. Addressing these issues requires policy reforms and investments in modern infrastructure. Theoretical Contribution: This research contributes to the sustainable development theory by positioning maritime logistics as a central element of blue economic resilience and environmental stewardship. It introduces a conceptual model viewing maritime logistics as an enabler of sustainable blue economy growth in Kenya. Practical Implications: The study recommends targeted investments in green technologies, improved maritime training, and the formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships to foster collaborative and resilient maritime logistics systems. It also highlights the need for more comprehensive data and encourages future research to include primary data for deeper insights. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem. In order to completely address the three dimensions of development, social, economic, and environmental in an integrated manner from 2015 to 2030, and to shift to a sustainable development path, the United Nations has formulated 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which SDG14 is directly associated with the blue economy, which is also an essential material foundation for achieving other SDGs. In particular, the blue economy with the theme of sustainable and high-quality development of the marine economy will provide the possibility and important material guarantees for the eradication of poverty (SDG1), the eradication of hunger (SDG2), and the reduction of inequalities within and among countries (SDG10). In this study, CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize and analyze the global blue economy sustainability research field from 2006 to 2021, obtaining institutions, countries, cited authors, cited literature, journals, keywords, and clustered knowledge graphs. The results show that most of the blue economy sustainable development research is independent, with less cooperation among institutions. The research focuses on four research themes: fundamental theory and development direction, ecological and environmental sustainability, marine development methods, and comprehensive benefits and functions; the dynamics of the blue economy sustainable development research field is summarized.

This review paper explores the integration of Blue, Green, and Grey economies as viable pathways for sustainable economic development in Nigeria. By examining the principles, current status, challenges, and opportunities of these economic models, the study highlights their potential in diversifying Nigeria's economy, enhancing environmental sustainability, and promoting social inclusion. The Blue Economy focuses on harnessing Nigeria’s vast coastal and marine resources for sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime activities. The Green Economy emphasizes eco-friendly practices, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and land management as means to address climate change and improve food security. Meanwhile, the Grey Economy, predominantly informal, presents opportunities for sustainable urban development, particularly in waste management, recycling, and construction sectors. The study identifies significant challenges, including policy gaps, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to financing, and the need for a more robust regulatory framework. It emphasizes the necessity of an integrated policy approach that aligns with Nigeria’s Vision 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Strategic recommendations include fostering public-private partnerships, investing in capacity building, and leveraging innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainability projects. This review concludes that a comprehensive approach to integrating Blue, Green, and Grey economies can enhance Nigeria’s economic resilience, reduce environmental degradation, and promote inclusive growth. The findings serve as a blueprint for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers interested in advancing sustainable development in Nigeria.

The blue economy works as a policy tool or sustainable marine economic development model that drives economic growth and creates jobs. Human civilization is indebted to the oceans from decade to decade since they are a vital source of food, energy, and minerals. Oceans act as primary media upon which global trade (for example, seaborne international trade) takes place. Being an ocean-based country, Bangladesh has immense potential to be an advanced country by the year 2041. Sustainable use of blue economic development must be ensured to achieve developed status. Lack of strong marine policy, weak ocean governance, and unsustainable use (for example, IUU fishing, marine pollution, haphazard tourism, and unplanned coastal development) can be a huge risk factors for the effective execution of the blue economy. Blue economic development should be in an eco-friendly way and a special focus must be on the conservation of the marine ecosystem. A blue economy roadmap is necessary to provide a comprehensive strategy for ocean-based sustainable development that brings together the economy, environment, and society, closely linked to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The shift to a blue economy will require profound and structural changes in the regulatory-management-governance policy process using the ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning method. For sustainable blue development, strong ocean policy and ocean governance must be ensured.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Requires Transdisciplinary Innovation at the Local Scale

The global economy of the 21st century emphasises both economic growth and conservation of natural resources at the same time. Moreover, the present economic activities promote practices that can tackle the challenges imposed by environmental degradation and climate change. This overall trend of the contemporary global economy basically served as a driving force behind the evolution of the principle of sustainable development. Sustainable development is all about achieving the human development goals of the present generation without compromising the well-being of the future generation by ensuring environmental stability. The ocean economy, on the other hand, has always been considered one of the major contributors to ensure economic advancement of the coastal states. However, this economic growth is curbed by various environmental challenges resulting from the unregulated exploitation of ocean resources. Therefore, sustainable consumption of marine resources and maintaining ecological balance are sine qua non while conducting ocean based economic activities. When ocean economy promotes stability among economic growth, environmental sustainability, and sustainable consumption of marine and coastal resources, it becomes relevant to the core idea of the ‘Blue Economy’. This paper can be seen as an endeavour to explore the conceptual nexus between ‘Sustainable Development’ and ‘Blue Economy’. Additionally, this study focused on certain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are intertwined with the blue economy, particularly SDG 14, and addressed how the concept of the blue economy can expedite the realization of sustainable development. The study concludes with a brief overview of the ways in which Bangladesh has adopted the notion of the blue economy as a mechanism for sustainable development and the strategies through which those can be made more functional and effective.

Blue economy has the potential to promote economic growth, improve livelihoods, and create jobs while protecting marine ecosystems. This research uses a comprehensive analysis of secondary data sources to assess various blue economy sectors, including maritime transport, fisheries, aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, marine tourism, marine biotechnology, and ocean mining. By examining the blue economy experiences of developed nations like the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, and Australia, the study identifies the best SDG practices and strategic lessons applicable to Bangladesh. In the case of Bangladesh, the research focuses on the blue economy initiatives, opportunities, and challenges associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The blue economy and SDGs nexus in the context of Bangladesh demonstrates that out of 17 goals, 12 SDGs (SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 16 and SDG 17) are linked with blue economy practices in Bangladesh. However, in the case of developed countries, only six SDGs (SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14) are connected to the blue economy because of the diversity of blue economy practices across the countries. Situated along the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has significant potential to utilize its marine resources for sustainable development. However, it faces challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, regulatory gaps, environmental risks, and limited technological advancements. The study thus emphasizes the need for integrated policy frameworks, stakeholder coordination, investments in sustainable infrastructure, public–private partnerships, technological innovation, and community engagement.

Purpose This research examines the ecological and economic impacts of marine sand mining in Indonesia’s Riau Islands Province. It analyzes contradictions between Government Regulation No. 26/2023 – which permits marine sand exports – and sustainable development principles, particularly Blue Economy concepts and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach This study employs qualitative research methods with systematic literature review. The analysis applies Blue Economy and SDG frameworks, specifically examining SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). Findings Marine sand mining exhibits fundamental contradictions with Blue Economy principles and SDGs. Mining activities cause severe ecological damage. These include coral reef destruction, seagrass bed degradation and mangrove forest loss. Additional impacts include accelerated coastal erosion and increased marine pollution. While generating potential state revenue of trillions of rupiah, the policy primarily benefits a limited number of corporate actors. Meanwhile, substantial environmental and social costs are imposed on coastal communities. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to literature-based analysis focusing on Riau Islands Province. Future research should incorporate primary field data and broader geographical coverage. This would validate findings across different Indonesian maritime regions. Practical implications Findings recommend comprehensive policy revision. This includes mandatory environmental impact assessments, strengthened interagency coordination and enhanced stakeholder participation. Integration of ecosystem service valuations into decision-making processes is essential. These measures would prevent maritime conflicts and ensure sustainable marine resource management. Social implications Marine sand mining disproportionately affects coastal communities, particularly fishermen dependent on healthy marine ecosystems. The policy threatens traditional fishing grounds and reduces marine biodiversity. It accelerates coastal erosion, increasing vulnerability to natural disasters. While creating limited employment in extraction activities, long-term social costs include displacement of fishing communities, loss of marine-based cultural heritage and increased social inequality as benefits concentrate among corporate stakeholders rather than local populations. Originality/value This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of Indonesia’s marine sand export policy reversal through integrated Blue Economy and SDG frameworks. It specifically examines the Riau Islands case. The research contributes original insights into contradictions between economic development priorities and environmental sustainability commitments in Indonesian maritime policy. By analyzing the 20-year policy transformation from prohibition to selective reopening, this work offers empirical evidence for policymakers, environmental scholars and sustainable development practitioners addressing similar resource management dilemmas in archipelagic nations.

Blue economy and the total environment: Mapping the interface.

Using marine resources sustainably to boost the economy and improve the well-being and health of marine ecosystems is known as the blue economy. With 59% of its coastline in use alone, it is now one of the countries with the longest coastline in the world, Indonesia. Therefore, its marine potential is very much worthy of attention and development. The potential of Indonesia's blue economy is immense to drive economic recovery and growth. Harnessing this potential is especially important at a time when growth in other sectors can no longer meet growing needs. Since the 1972 Stockholm Environment Conference, many countries have been paying attention to the potential of the blue economy to achieve sustainable development. One of Jokowi's goals in implementing Blue Economy is to support the achievement of Maintaining the sustainability of Indonesia's marine ecosystems until 2030 through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In contrast, Joko Widodo combines the ideas of a "Blue Economy" and a "Green Economy". This research aims to find out how the blue economy can be an economic recovery and sustainable development in Indonesia. This research was conducted using the literature study method. The blue economy can improve the welfare of people in small islands and coastal areas and increase employment in Indonesia.

This study examines the factors that influence the blue economy in EUROMED, aiming at promoting economic growth in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. EUROMED was chosen because all of its nations have fisheries and marine tourism, which are the two key indicators of the blue economy. Blue economy contributes to sustainable development in the fisheries and marine tourism sectors. A commitment to sustainability has sped up national and regional blue economy policy development. The study uses secondary qualitative data and literature review to analyse the synergies and conflicts between EUROMED blue economy strategies and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The findings suggest that GDP growth, aqua production, open trade, CO2 emissions, and inflation rate influence the blue economy, and that ecotourism that considers education, society, and the environment may generate sustainable fisheries and marine tourism. Only 21 countries gave the ARDL test between 2000 and 2019. This study analyses synergies and conflicts between EUROMED blue economy strategies and UN Sustainable Development Goals. Location-based contextual development of blue economies that suit all players' requirements is essential to maintain sustainability objectives. Ensure resilience against future environmental and political shocks, preserve the ecological underpinning for vibrant blue economies, and create capacity at all levels to promote effective and fair governance. This study tries to make good use of ocean conservation and aquaculture within the context of the blue economy. This is the first EUROMED blue economy study and contributes to the theoretical and methodological development of blue economy research.

One of the European Union’s environmental and sustainable development objectives is to achieve sustainable marine development, combining the objectives of ocean health and the blue economy. Developing, implementing, and monitoring marine policies requires information on the status and evolution of marine development at the country level, including the extent to which strong sustainable development (i.e., balanced development across socio-economic and environmental dimensions) is being achieved. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of progress towards marine development for 15 European Union coastal countries in the Baltic, North, and Atlantic Seas, covering the period 2012–2022 and using information from Sustainable Development Goal 14 to derive our indicator framework. We show that the EU is achieving sustainable marine development, but not comprehensively in all countries. While seven countries achieved sustainable development under both weak and strong sustainability, seven countries developed only under weak sustainability, and one country made no progress under either concept.

Purpose This paper identifies the current state and prospects for scientific cooperation in the field of the Blue Economy in the Black Sea Region. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications indexed in one of the largest international citation databases of peer-reviewed literature (Scopus) for the past 5 years. The following terms were selected: Blue Economy, Ocean Economy, Blue Growth, Ecosystem-Based Management and Marine Spatial Planning. For the detailed search query, we adopted the classification of the traditional and emerging sectors of the Ocean Economy, developed by the OECD, and integrated relevant keywords (equivalents) from the marine economy framework classification of the EU, US and China Blue Economy sectors. Findings The results show that non-regional actors (like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada) have been actively involved in the research agenda in the field of the Blue Economy, inter alia in the Black Sea Region, while the representation of the regional stakeholders (in particular, the BSEC Member States) is relatively low. The majority of the countries in the Black Sea Region are involved in the common scientific research agenda related to the Blue/Ocean Economy, including its traditional and emerging marine (ocean-based) sectors. Ecosystem-Based Management is underrepresented as a research area. The Black Sea Region significantly lacks academic-corporate collaboration in the field of the Blue Economy. Originality/value The current studies related to the development of the Blue Economy as a scientific area of research specifically in the Black Sea Region are underrepresented in the academic literature. The study allowed us to identify the countries from the Black Sea Region that are leading in terms of the research related to the Blue/Ocean Economy, as well as determine research trends for international cooperation related to the development of Blue/Ocean Economy in the Black Sea Region.KeywordsBlue EconomyBlack Sea RegionInternational cooperationResearch areasBibliometric analysisMarine Spatial PlanningEcosystem-Based ManagementJEL ClassificationQ56Q01A12C18D85Q25Q20C8

The Blue Economy and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals: Challenges and opportunities