SDG 14 and Local Communities: Private Trans-boundary Action as a Means of Protecting the Marine Space
“If there is a resource which signifies the interconnectedness of humanity across borders and boundaries, the ocean it is. We are entirely reliant upon the ocean which covers more than 70 per cent of the planet’s surface and plays a crucial role in planetary resilience and the provision of vital ecosystem services.. The ocean produces half the oxygen we breathe, absorbs over a quarter of global carbon dioxide, and contributes to freshwater renewal. Entire countries and numerous communities depend on the ocean for food, work, livelihoods, culture and spirituality. Over-exploitation and multiple competing uses, sea level rises, pollution, climate change, coastal erosion, deoxygenation and ocean acidification, however, are pushing ocean ecosystems towards a tipping point and have seriously impacted on local communities. In general, the status of the marine space ̶ including oceans and rivers ̶ and its resources have been deteriorating over the past century, compromising the services they provide….”