“For whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself,” wrote English adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1829.
The blue economy encompasses the sustainable use of ocean resources for growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability. It offers a vast array of resources that have immense potential for various industries, including food, medicine, fresh water, minerals, renewable energy. India, with its vast coastline and strategic location in the Indian Ocean, is poised to harness the potential of the blue economy and unlock a sea of opportunities. However, to realise the potential of our oceans in a sustainable way, we must embrace technology, enhance our understanding of the ocean and address climate change.
In the Indian Ocean, India has been allocated areas rich in rare metals, such as hydrothermal sulphide vents in the mid-ocean ridge area and poly-metallic nodules in the central Indian Ocean, by the International Seabed Authority. By utilising advanced technology, we can strike a balance between a sustainable future for both our economy and the ocean.
The ocean also offers numerous renewable energy sources, including tidal energy, offshore wind energy, wave energy, ocean current energy, ocean thermal energy, and salinity gradient energy. To fully harness these, it is crucial to map their availability spatially and temporally, usability, economic feasibility within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
One of the most pressing issues related to the ocean is climate change, with its impacts being felt most strongly in polar regions such as the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Himalayas. The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate, four times faster than the global mean. The Indian Ocean is especially vulnerable due to its landlocked nature and high thermal expansion. To effectively manage these challenges, it is crucial to monitor ocean dynamics with floats, buoys, and remote sensing technologies. This allows us to predict future sea-level rise along the Indian coastline, providing insights for coastal mapping.
Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/epaper/delhicapital/2023/jun/08/economy-macro-micro-more/indias-blue-economy-sets-sail-to-unlock-a-sea-of-opportunities/articleshow/100831652.cms
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