| Summary/Abstract |
Ensuring sustainable oceans and seas is vital for the well-being of the planet. However, oceans – which are the largest ecosystems – are degrading rapidly, which is a cause of anxiety. The paper presents some of the growing concerns about the health of the oceans and analyses three main drivers of ocean degradation, viz. overexploitation for resources, unintended impacts of anthropogenic activities and weak governance structures. Some of the ongoing work on adopting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the oceans, and by the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) working group for governance of the “high seas”, are then discussed. The paper suggests a way ahead and proposes that India should play a larger role in the ongoing discussions. The paper concludes that there is a need for international cooperation and global support, and ensuring sustainable oceans is the key to sustainable development.
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