Financing Southeast Asia's Blue Economy

Southeast Asia’s development trajectory is closely intertwined with its blue economy – a diverse range of economic activities reliant on and non-market ecosystem services provided by the region’s rich coastal, marine, and freshwater resources. However, as highlighted in the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, the overarching policy guiding Southeast Asia’s blue economy priorities, adequate and effective finance and investment are essential for the region to realise the potential of the blue economy for sustainable development. A key consideration is the need to move beyond excessive reliance on development assistance towards longer-term financing solutions, particularly in light of increasing pressures on international public finance. To support this shift and the implementation of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, this report assesses the current landscape of development assistance for the blue economy in Southeast Asia and examines the range of financial sources and instruments that can be leveraged to advance sustainable blue economy financing in the region.