Indicative zoning of ocean spaces for accounting and blue economic development in India

The Blue Economy seeks to harness ocean resources for economic growth, employment generation, and livelihood enhancement while safeguarding marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Achieving this balance requires robust frameworks that integrate ecological sustainability with economic development. Global initiatives such as the World Bank’s Blue Economy Development Framework (BEDF) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) emphasize marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries, and ocean conservation. Central to these efforts are ocean accounting systems that combine environmental and economic data, often aligned with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), to measure natural capital, monitor sectoral progress, and capture the interdependence of ecological health and economic well-being. “Technical Guidance on Ocean Accounting, shared by GOAP (Global Ocean Accounts Partnership) is an important tool for ocean accounting. Along with ocean accounting, India has articulated its own vision of the Blue Economy, highlighting the need to integrate the production and consumption of ocean goods and services within the ecological capacity of marine systems. This vision necessitates sectoral coordination, jurisdictional alignment, and administrative integration through marine spatial planning and resource accounting. Against this backdrop, the present study examines the extent of India’s ocean zones, the range of economic activities they support, and the frameworks linking the ocean zones covering ecosystem extent, condition, physical flows, and monetary benefits. This ocean zones classification strengthens evidence-based policymaking, enhances transparency in ocean governance, and supports India’s transition toward sustainable and resilient blue economic development. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the affiliated research institutions.