SDG 14 conserve and sustainably use the oceans seas and marine resources for sustainable development
The conservation and sustainable use of seas, oceans, and marine resources is the focus of Goal 14. Human existence and life on Earth depend on healthy seas and oceans. Our existence on Earth is inextricably linked to the ocean. comprising 99 percent of the planet’s living area by volume, covering three-quarters of its surface, and holding 97 percent of its water. They supply essential natural resources including food, medicine, biofuels, and other goods; they aid in the decomposition and elimination of trash and pollution; and their coastal ecosystems serve as storm damage buffers. They also serve as the largest carbon sink on Earth. With nearly 17 million metric tons of marine pollution in 2021—a number that is expected to double or triple by 2040—it is concerning that marine pollution is getting to extremely high levels. The most dangerous kind of ocean contamination is plastic. The average pH of the ocean now is 8.1, which is around 30% more acidic than it was before industrialization. In addition to upsetting the food chain and endangering marine species, ocean acidification also jeopardizes our own food security and the essential functions that the ocean provides. A sustainable future depends on the prudent use of this vital global resource. To protect the greatest ecosystem on Earth, this entails boosting financing for ocean research, stepping up conservation initiatives, and quickly reversing climate change. The urgent need to preserve this enormous yet delicate resource is not yet being met by current protection efforts.
Why?
The ocean sustains life on our planet and controls the global climate system. With around a million species known to exist there and a wealth of unrealized scientific potential, it is the greatest ecosystem in the world. The economic, social, and environmental needs of the world’s population are still met by oceans and fisheries. Ocean conservation is vital, but decades of careless exploitation have caused a startling degree of destruction.
What is the issue, then?
The ocean helps lessen the effects of climate change by absorbing around 23% of the CO2 emissions produced by human activities each year. Additionally, almost 90% of the extra heat in the climate system has been absorbed by the ocean. Record-high ocean temperatures are harming the world’s rich ecosystems, dying coral reefs worldwide, and generating widespread marine heatwaves. Significant effects on the ecology and the economy are also being caused by the growing amount of garbage in the world’s oceans. Between 5 and 12 million metric tons of plastic are thought to enter the ocean annually, costing the economy about $13 billion in lost revenue from fisheries and other businesses as well as cleanup expenses. Single-use items like plastic bags account for about 89% of the plastic litter that is discovered on the ocean floor. Approximately 80% of all tourism occurs along the coast. Over a third of the workforce in some nations is currently employed in the ocean-related tourist sector, which is expected to grow by US$134 billion annually. Tourism can be a serious danger to local culture and business, as well as the natural resources it depends on, if it is not properly managed.
What role does the ocean have in our health?
Our health and the health of the water are closely related. The variety of marine life holds enormous potential for the pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, more than 50% of people in least developed nations rely on marine fisheries as their main source of protein, and they support 57 million jobs worldwide.
What can we do, then?
Sustainability for deep-sea and open ocean regions can only be attained by stronger international collaboration to safeguard delicate ecosystems. In order to preserve biodiversity and guarantee a sustainable future for the fishing industry, it is important to establish comprehensive, efficient, and fairly managed networks of government-protected areas. As an illustration, consider the 2023 Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, which establishes a legal foundation for all maritime activities. At the local level, we should only consume what we need and choose items or foods that come from the ocean that are friendly to the environment. It’s imperative that we use less plastic.
Goal 14 targets
- As the ocean’s health deteriorates due to rising eutrophication, acidification, ocean warming, and plastic pollution, a state of emergency has been declared. Furthermore, more than one-third of the world’s fish populations are being depleted due to the worrying trend of overfishing.
- Action is not moving at the rate or scale necessary to achieve Goal 14, despite modest progress in growing marine protected areas, preventing illicit, unreported, and unregulated fishing, outlawing fishing subsidies, and assisting small-scale fishermen. Global response must be fast and well-coordinated to buck these tendencies. To protect the planet’s greatest ecosystem, this means boosting financing for ocean science, stepping up conservation efforts, developing solutions based on nature and ecosystems, addressing the interdependencies and effects of human-induced stresses, and quickly reversing climate change.
