Applying the Approach of Greening the Blue Economy to the Marine Surfaces in Egypt

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the approach of greening the blue economy that has gained worldwide attention recently. As a subfield of the green economy, the term “blue economy” was introduced in 2012 during the Rio + 20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development focusing on marine activities and oceans environments. It implies a new mechanism by promoting the sustainable use as well as the preservation of the marine environment while generating new cash flow, creating jobs and building social capital. According to UNEP, a switch to a blue economy will reduce degradation, alleviate poverty and unlock the potential of the marine-based economy. Egypt enjoys abundant riches inherent inside its marine surfaces which are being degraded by unsustainable use, eventually putting their ecosystems, food security and climate regulations at severe risk. Only 2.2% of Egypt's GDP is made up by the blue economy. This is despite its strategic geographic location with coastlines extending over 3,000 km along the Red, Mediterranean, and Gulf of Aqaba seas, as well as 50 marine ports with 197 terminals spanning 37.5 km.This paper will be a big step on the right path. It investigates the extent to which the application of greening the blue economy with emphasis on tourism, could contribute to the sustainable development of Egypt’s marine resources and society. Through a SWOT analysis that highlights the strengths, weaknessess, opportunities and  threats, the authors provide suggestions and implications to the various stakeholders .

Keywords: greening the blue economy, Egypt’s marine surfaces, sustainable development, tourism.