The seas of the world have equivalent of 25 trillion
A new WWF study shows that the assets of the world's oceans is 24 trillion US dollars. This corresponds roughly to the value of the richest economies. But overuse, mismanagement and global warming bring this huge fortunes increasingly at risk.
A conservative estimate of an asset of the world's oceans is 24 trillion US dollars. And the economic performance of the world's oceans is so large with 2.5 trillion US dollars that the oceans to land with this sum is equal to the top ten largest economies (see table). The effective value is likely to be even higher, since many services from ecosystems are difficult to quantify. At this realization comes the new WWF report "Reviving the Ocean Economy", which was created in collaboration with the "Global Change Institute" at the University of Queensland and the Boston Consulting Group. Two thirds of this value are the health of the oceans depends. "In order to obtain these annual economic value added, the oceans must be protected from overuse and the negative consequences of global warming," says Alice Eymard-Duvernay, marine expert at WWF Switzerland.
Half of the world's coral stocks have already disappeared. The remaining coral reefs, which provide food, work and coastal protection for hundreds of millions of people will be completely gone in the current warming by the year 2050th 90 per cent of fish stocks are now fished already overexploited or to the limits. And the decline of mangrove forests, the grounds for many fish, exceeds that of the other forests around the three to five times.
The study allows to show in numbers what is economically and ecologically at stake. "It's not too late to solve these problems, so that we can benefit from the seas in the future," says Eymard-Duvernay. The WWF lists in the study on eight measures, including about the inclusion of oceans in the sustainability goals of the United Nations, the taking global action against climate change and the obligation for increased protection of coastal and marine areas.
Table Gross domestic product (US dollars):
A conservative estimate of an asset of the world's oceans is 24 trillion US dollars. And the economic performance of the world's oceans is so large with 2.5 trillion US dollars that the oceans to land with this sum is equal to the top ten largest economies (see table). The effective value is likely to be even higher, since many services from ecosystems are difficult to quantify. At this realization comes the new WWF report "Reviving the Ocean Economy", which was created in collaboration with the "Global Change Institute" at the University of Queensland and the Boston Consulting Group. Two thirds of this value are the health of the oceans depends. "In order to obtain these annual economic value added, the oceans must be protected from overuse and the negative consequences of global warming," says Alice Eymard-Duvernay, marine expert at WWF Switzerland.
Half of the world's coral stocks have already disappeared. The remaining coral reefs, which provide food, work and coastal protection for hundreds of millions of people will be completely gone in the current warming by the year 2050th 90 per cent of fish stocks are now fished already overexploited or to the limits. And the decline of mangrove forests, the grounds for many fish, exceeds that of the other forests around the three to five times.
The study allows to show in numbers what is economically and ecologically at stake. "It's not too late to solve these problems, so that we can benefit from the seas in the future," says Eymard-Duvernay. The WWF lists in the study on eight measures, including about the inclusion of oceans in the sustainability goals of the United Nations, the taking global action against climate change and the obligation for increased protection of coastal and marine areas.
Table Gross domestic product (US dollars):
- USA: 17,4 trillion
- China: 10,4 trillion
- Japan: 4,8 trillion
- Germany: 3,8, trillion
- France: 2,9 Billionen
- UK: 2,9 trillion
- Oceans: 2,5 trillion
- Brazil: 2,2 trillion
- Italy: 2,1 trillion
- Russia: 2,1 trillion
- India: 2 trillion
