Evolution and coordination of blue carbon and coastal economic wealth
In: Energy, Ecology and Environment. Springer; Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University: Berlin. ISSN 2363-7692; e-ISSN 2363-8338, more
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| Author keywords |
Blue carbon · Blue carbon wealth · Coastal economy · Coordination |
| Abstract |
The blue economy, which refers to economic development in harmony with marine ecosystems, is essential for achieving sustainable coastal development. Yet, rapid coastal economic growth has contributed to the degradation of blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) in recent years, raising concerns about the coordination between blue carbon wealth, which refers to the value of carbon stored in BCEs, and coastal economic wealth. To inform more targeted ecological management, the present study analyzes the temporal and spatial changing patterns of the global blue carbon wealth, using BCEs distribution data and the social cost of carbon. We further propose a coordination index to reveal the coordination relation between blue carbon wealth and coastal economic wealth. We find that: first, global blue carbon sequestration has generally declined but has shown signs of recovery in recent years, with substantial regional variation; second, the primary stakeholders adversely affected by the decline in global blue carbon sequestration are coastal populations; third, the coordination between blue carbon wealth and coastal economic wealth has steadily improved, suggesting that ecological restoration and economic growth are becoming more compatible. The result of the present study could provide policy insights for aligning ecological and economic goals in coastal zones. |
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