Thammasat University students interested in ASEAN studies, ecology, economics, Indonesia, political science, sociology, international relations, diplomacy, and related subjects may find it useful to participate in a free 26 April Zoom webinar on Identifying Priority Sectors in the Blue Economy Development in Indonesia.
The event, on Friday, 26 April at 9am Bangkok time, is presented by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore.
The TU Library collection includes research about different aspects of economic development in Indonesia.
Students are invited to register at this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5217107230638/WN_x0ol5hxFRZ2gzbfE_-MnnA#/registration
The event webpage explains:
Indonesia has been promoting the development of a blue economy framework to leverage its rich maritime potential as a driver of sustainable economic growth and transformation to become a high-income economy. During its 2023 ASEAN chairmanship, Indonesia invited all ASEAN member states to work together to unleash the economic potential of the blue economy. To support this initiative, the Indonesian government has ratified a maritime spatial planning system for sea use and formulated the Blue Economy Index.
Currently, tourism and fisheries are the largest contributors to the blue economy. Nevertheless, the blue economy concept is evolving, encompassing emerging subsectors such as aquaculture, renewables, and marine manufacturing.
For Indonesia, there are some challenges facing its blue economy development. This includes complex implementation challenges of the new laws, institutional capacity to enforce the regulations, overfishing, climate change, and diverse stakeholders’ interests. All these exacerbate social risks and environmental threats that need to be carefully thought out by policymakers.
In this seminar, Dr. Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas will shed light on Indonesia’s blue economy programme and discuss some priority sectors and challenges to accelerate investment in the sector. She will also present some policy insights from the technocratic perspectives on how the blue economy agenda is linked to Indonesia’s Golden 2045 Vision.
About the Speaker
Dr. Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti is currently serving as Acting Chief Statistician, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), and Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning/BAPPENAS.
Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. Its scope of interpretation varies among organizations. However, the term is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources. This can include a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism, or other traditional uses, to more emergent activities such as coastal renewable energy, marine ecosystem services (such as blue carbon), seabed mining, and bioprospecting.
According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.”
The European Commission defines it as “All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts. It covers a wide range of interlinked established and emerging sectors.”
The Commonwealth of Nations considers it “an emerging concept which encourages better stewardship of our ocean or ‘blue’ resources.”
Conservation International adds that “blue economy also includes economic benefits that may not be marketed, such as carbon storage, coastal protection, cultural values and biodiversity.”
The Center for the Blue Economy says “it is now a widely used term around the world with three related but distinct meanings- the overall contribution of the oceans to economies, the need to address the environmental and ecological sustainability of the oceans, and the ocean economy as a growth opportunity for both developed and developing countries.”
A United Nations representative recently defined the Blue Economy as an economy that “comprises a range of economic sectors and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean resources is sustainable. An important challenge of the blue economy is to understand and better manage the many aspects of oceanic sustainability, ranging from sustainable fisheries to ecosystem health to preventing pollution. Secondly, the blue economy challenges us to realize that the sustainable management of ocean resources will require collaboration across borders and sectors through a variety of partnerships, and on a scale that has not been previously achieved. This is a tall order, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who face significant limitations.” The UN notes that the Blue Economy will aid in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, of which one goal, 14, is “Life Below Water”.
A posting on the London School of Economics website explains:
The activities commonly understood to represent the blue economy include maritime shipping, fishing and aquaculture, coastal tourism, renewable energy, water desalination, undersea cabling, seabed extractive industries and deep sea mining, marine genetic resources, and biotechnology.
A policy brief from last year, Developing the Blue Economy in Indonesia by Canyon Keanu Can and Teguh Dartanto noted:
During Indonesia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023, it has highlighted the blue economy as a key sector for the region’s sustainable future. A greener and bluer economy requires both environmental and societal balance.
In prioritising the sector, Indonesia recognises both the steep challenges and the abundant potential associated with the blue economy, alongside the need for international and inter-sectoral cooperation to fully leverage the sector’s capacity for a more inclusive and equitable future. This brief explores Indonesia’s existing progress in harnessing its blue economy, what challenges lie ahead, and what strategic initiatives Indonesia must undertake to pave a pathway towards a blue economic transformation.
They proposed the following policy recommendations:
The highly fragmented governance of the sea – both horizontally and vertically – reflects the complex nature of Indonesia’s central and regional governments. Indonesia requires clearer and more streamlined institutional foundations to improve its capacity for cooperation, particularly in emerging subsectors.
- While Indonesia’s laws are relatively comprehensive in the ASEAN region, their implementation remains challenging, and enforcement remains flawed. The establishment of the IBEI represents a necessary step towards better data collection for policy monitoring, evaluation, and improvement.
- Financing and budgeting will be critical in developing subsectors that remain underdeveloped in Indonesia – such as those in marine biotechnology, subsea construction, and offshore renewable energy. This requires incentives and tools that balance potential with environmental sustainability.
- Leveraging existing anti-poverty government programmes will help Indonesia improve livelihoods in coastal and isolated areas without drawing funds away from other programmes on the ecosystem and other blue sectors. Ensuring the welfare of these coastal livelihoods and small businesses is necessary to achieve an inclusive and equitable future.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)