Empirical Assessment Of Blue Economy Drivers And SDG Outcomes In IORA Nations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66635/3v0phn94Keywords:
Blue Economy, Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Aquaculture Production, SDG Performance, IORA EconomiesAbstract
This study looks at how the drivers of the Blue Economy affect sustainable development in six economies of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): India, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Mauritius, and Kenya, between 2010 and 2024. The study utilizes a balanced panel dataset of 90 country-year observations for the testing of the relationship between Blue Economy indicators and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) performance and is estimated using Fixed Effects, Random Effects, Panel-Corrected Standard Errors and Generalized Method of Moments methods. The results indicate that aquaculture production is positively and statistically significantly associated with SDG outcomes, pointing to the food security, employment generation, and development of sustainable enterprises in coastal areas, as well as to livelihood generation. Total fisheries production and agriculture–forestry–fishing activities, on the other hand, exhibit negative impacts, indicating that the production of fish and other resources, which demands high input and weak regulation, may negatively affect the sustainability. Marine Protected Areas also show short-term trade-offs, reflecting possible adjustment costs for coastal communities dependent on marine extraction. Merchandise exports positively influence SDG performance, while tariff barriers and weak regulatory implementation constrain sustainable progress. The study contributes to Blue Economy and sustainable entrepreneurship literature by showing that responsible aquaculture, innovation-oriented marine enterprises, institutional strengthening, and sustainable trade policies are essential for achieving inclusive and environmentally responsible development in IORA economies.
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