Ocean risk reports – Key messages

Our ocean is changing faster than at any time in human history. Risks associated with sea level rise, storm surges and coastal flooding are multiplying, affecting billions of lives and livelihoods and threatening critical coastal ecosystems. Coastal communities in LDCs and SIDS are likely to be most severely impacted, with women and girls especially hard-hit.

At the same time we are seeing an accelerating scramble for current, and future, ocean benefits that is unfolding with unprecedented intensity. This scramble for the seas – or “blue acceleration” – will generate surprising ecological, economic, equity and policy effects, and previously unperceived risks and opportunities. The future of the ocean economy in SIDS and LDCs depends on their ability to navigate this new ocean risk landscape.