The oceans and marine resources are the lifelines of Asia and the Pacific. As a resource for the economy, livelihoods and identity for coastal communities, the condition of the ocean is inextricably linked to the pathways of sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.
A wide variety of indicators show that, despite the vital importance of oceans, their health is very fragile in most countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Contributing to the fragile situation of oceans in the Asia-Pacific region are the impacts of climate change, overfishing and marine pollution. Overfishing has caused fish stocks to wither especially in the coastal areas of the region and placed the lives of coastal communities at risk. Plastic waste has been found in the deepest ocean seabed and in the guts of the deepest sea creatures.
However, given the importance of oceans and marine resources, measuring the shared blueprint for life below water is a challenge in the Asia-Pacific region. There are only sufficient data to measure progress in Asia and the Pacific for one of the ten globally agreed indicators for Goal 14.
Find out more on the Asia Pacific SDG Gateway.
