What do you understand by blue economy? How is it different from blue water economy with respect to maritime diplomacy? Explain.

Blue water and brown water are the concept of maritime diplomacy based on the relative distance from the coast. While brown water represents area near to coast under the jurisdiction of the littoral state as “territorial sea or Exclusive economic zone. On the other hand, Blue Water or ‘High Seas, are away from the coast & they are regulated through international conventions like the UN Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS). There is no official definition of ‘Blue-Water Economy’. In a liberal sense, it denotes economic activities in high seas, for example, marine transportation, deep sea fishing, and deep sea mineral explorations.

The ocean economy or blue economy is a recent concept which originated in UN conference on sustainable development. Blue economy encompasses the “green economy”, with focus on the environment, and the “ocean economy” or “coastal economy”, with its emphasis on complementarities among coastal and island states for sustenance and sustainable development.

Both the traditional blue-water economy and the new blue economy are important for India’s sustainable development. So the importance of regional organizations has increased in this context. International rules for ‘Blue Economy’ or ‘Blue-Water Economy’ are still evolving, through active diplomatic engagement, India can protect and enhance economic and strategic interests in the maritime arena.

Topics: GS-III: Indian Economy Issues Relating to Planning