Oceans – an important contribution to the SDGs
We cannot achieve the SDGs by 2030 without a clean and healthy ocean. Future needs for food, renewable energy, emissions reductions, climate adaptation and value creation all depend on the ocean. The growth potential in offshore industries is significant, but the majority of the gains from the ocean economy end up with the minority. The negative consequences affect the most vulnerable.
What
Norwegian ocean aid will contribute to SDG 14 – conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The Norwegian ocean initiative is extensive and covers a wide range of areas. Among other things, Norway leads the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (the Ocean Panel), which works to create momentum for a sustainable ocean economy in which effective protection, sustainable production and fair welfare go hand in hand. At Norad, we primarily work to achieve these goals through the programmes Oceans for Development, Fish for Development, and the aid programme to combat marine littering and microplastics.
Why
More than three billion people rely on the oceans as a source of food and nutrition, jobs and energy. Aquatic food is a particularly important source of nutrition for coastal communities in developing countries. Small-scale fisheries account for around 40% of global catches and nearly 500 million people depend on fisheries to maintain their living conditions. Small-scale fishermen therefore play a key role in local food security. However, small-scale fishermen are often a group that are not recognised or included in decisions that affect their living conditions and they often live in poverty.
The ocean is under enormous pressure from climate change, excess fishing, pollution and development. Destruction of the oceans would have catastrophic consequences. However, the oceans also play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in reducing the impact of climate change, especially on coastal communities. The oceans also provide major economic opportunities, but these must be developed and managed sustainably in order to ensure environmental and social sustainability.
How
Norway is an ocean nation with high levels of experience and knowledge of the marine environment. Oceans and Fish for Development focus on institutional partnerships and the exchange of such experience and expertise between public institutions in partner countries and in Norway. This is complemented through funding for multilateral organisations, academia, businesses and civil society organisations.
In line with the main recommendation of the Ocean Panel, Norad contributes through Oceans for Development to partner countries developing and strengthening frameworks for sustainable and comprehensive ocean management in accordance with the Law of the Sea and international standards. This includes strengthening authorities’ capacity and expertise in enforcing regulations and ensuring good management practices and promoting sustainable business development, food security and decent working conditions and rights for rightsholders in ocean-related sectors.
Through Fish for Development, Norad contributes to ensuring that authorities are able to manage fishery resources and aquaculture production in a sustainable manner, that research communities and educational institutions assist authorities and industry players through increased knowledge, data and advice on sustainable fishing and aquaculture and that industry players exploit fishery resources and conduct aquaculture production in a sustainable manner. The EAF Nansen programme, with the research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, is an important part of Fish for Development and launched in 1975.
Through its aid programme to combat marine littering and microplastics, Norad works to prevent and significantly reduce the extent of marine littering originating from major sources in developing countries. The programme has four focus areas: i) Improved waste management for plastic waste in partner countries, ii) clearing up waste in selected coastal zones and rivers, iii) strengthening businesses’ own efforts for sustainable production, consumption and adequate waste management and iv) strengthening global commitments and national and regional instruments to prevent marine littering and microplastics.
In several cases, Norad’s work in this area spans the three programmes in order to exploit the synergies and achieve the greatest results.
Who/Where
As of 2024, Oceans for Development and Fish for Development primarily operate in the following countries: Indonesia, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Colombia, Sri Lanka and Sudan. The aid programme to combat marine littering supports projects worldwide but has had a focus on countries in Asia, where plastic is a major problem. To date, India and Indonesia account for the most projects under the programme. Norad also supports projects in other parts of the world, especially through multilateral stakeholders such as the World Bank, FAO, IMO, UNEP, IOC-UNESCO, UNDOALOS, and UNODC.
Links
Ocean reports
- 2020: Making Waves: Norway’s Support for a Sustainable Ocean. Ocean report 2020. (norad.no)
- 2021: Making Waves - Norway’s support for a sustainable ocean (norad.no)
- 2022: Ocean report 2022: Making Waves Norway’s support for a sustainable ocean (norad.no)
- High Level Panel for a Sustainable ocean Economy (The Ocean Panel): High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (oceanpanel.org)
- Oceans for Development governing document
- Fish for Development governing document
- The EAF-Nansen Programme: The Nansen Programme (norad.no)(Norwegian)
- Evaluation of the aid programme to combat marine littering and microplastics: Review of the Norwegian development program to combat marine litter and microplastics (norad.no)
Contact
For further information, please contact the Section for Oceans (Norad-Hav@norad.no).