At the launch of the publication, Financing the Ocean Back to Health in Southeast Asia: Approaches for Mainstreaming Blue Finance, ADB called for scaling up of finance flows into ocean health improvement and related projects in Asia and the Pacific to combat growing threats from unchecked pollution into rivers, lakes, and seas due to rapid economic growth. The report highlighted innovative finance models that can blend financing from public and private sectors to rapidly accelerate and scale-up “blue” projects such as coastal protection, sustainable fisheries, and plastics in wastewater treatment. The publication recognizes the environmental and economic benefits of healthy oceans for Southeast Asian economies as well as sustainable livelihoods of the subregion’s large coastal population. It identifies challenges associated with blue-related projects, such as inadequate revenue models which constrain flows of private capital into the sector. The publication presents models which could be used by governments to meet such challenges, including guarantee structures, pooled finance vehicles, and innovative bonds. Along the lines of promoting sustainable ocean health, is the technical assistance project that is being managed by the Energy Sector Group that seeks to facilitate future investment in sustainable ocean economy development through two main activities: (i) assessment of marine resource commercialization prospects (including energy, seafood, and tourism) and identification of investment projects in selected developing member countries (DMCs); and (iii) review and recommendations on policy and regulatory frameworks to facilitate large-scale investment and on mechanisms to accelerate financing of selected projects. ADB Calls for Innovative Financing for Ocean Health Improvement