Ocean economies and marine ecosystems have significant potential to support sustainable economic growth, food security, livelihoods, jobs, and climate resilience, particularly for coastal communities. As some of the world’s most valuable natural assets, oceans and marine ecosystems should be recognized and managed as productive natural capital, with their use grounded in sustainable and responsible approaches. These assets are under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution, unsustainable resource use, and coastal development. The event will explore how countries can better protect, sustainably manage, and invest in these blue assets while unlocking their potential to support inclusive growth, jobs, food security, and long-term resilience.

The event will be structured as a high-level panel followed by an open discussion, showcasing practical World Bank Group experiences across regions to demonstrate how investments in ecosystem protection, sustainable blue economy activities, and nature-based solutions can generate benefits for both people and nature. The discussion will also highlight how sound policies, integrated planning, risk reduction, and innovative financing can create the enabling conditions needed to mobilize private-sector participation and investment.

In addition, the event will also discuss the importance and timely need for integrated management, continuity, and collaboration as a means of strengthening accountability, sustaining investments, and ensuring long-term benefits for both nature and people. This includes coordinated efforts across institutions, sectors, and stakeholders to support progress across areas such as effectively managed MPAs, ecosystem restoration, and other measurable conservation and socioeconomic outcomes, while allowing countries to retain ownership of their national priorities and targets, including the Global Biodiversity Framework Targets 3, 9, and 11, and ensuring that investments in nature translate into lasting economic, social, and resilience benefits.

Drawing from experiences from West Africa, including through the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA) and the West Africa Coastal Areas Blue Economy and Resilience Program (WACA+), the session will showcase how investments in coastal protection, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable blue economy activities can protect blue natural assets while strengthening resilience and generating jobs and livelihoods. WACA+ is expected to catalyze approximately 13,000 additional and better-paid blue economy jobs, rehabilitate up to 3,000 hectares of mangroves and coastal wetlands, and strengthen fisheries, aquaculture, and ecotourism value chains in Benin and Mauritania.  Additional examples to be highlighted include Belize, Fiji, Cabo Verde, Sao Tomé and Principe, where World Bank Group support has focused on unlocking the country’s blue economy potential by strengthening the enabling environment for private-sector participation and investment and identifying opportunities for blue economy job creation.

In essence, the event will demonstrate how protecting blue assets is an engine for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, jobs, livelihoods, private investment, and sustainable growth.