發展藍色經濟的關鍵要素- Keynote Speaker - Professor and Chair Thompson

藍色經濟是甚麼? 好似還欠缺有共識的定義。

跟水有關係的經濟？這應該是基本要件，

無庸置疑的，從希臘、葡萄牙、荷蘭、英國到美洲許多國家

都因為海洋而崛起，在不同時代稱霸海上；

隨時代轉變，藍色經濟逐漸貼近妳我的日常生活。從航運到漁業、水產養殖，以及最近蓬勃發展的海洋能源，也使得國與國之間的界限變得模糊；

然而，也因為海洋的不可測與千變萬化，各種海洋災害可能隨時動搖藍色經濟的基礎，

因此，如何思考永續以及防災，應該是發展藍色經濟的關鍵要素。

讓美國羅德島大學海洋事務系主任 Thompson 教授與各位分享藍色經濟的意涵。

Expanding opportunities and increasing vulnerabilities in the blue economy Dr. Robert Thompson Professor, Department of Marine Affairs University of Rhode Island The blue or maritime economy has historically been an important part of some of the world’s biggest economies. The development, wealth, and power of the Greeks, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Americans all depended heavily on maritime commerce and dominance. However, the activities that constitute the current and future blue economies differ dramatically in type and scale from the past. A much broader range of goods and a much larger percentage of consumer goods in advanced economies are part of a complex web of global shipping. Wild fisheries and aquaculture are now also truly global. Lastly, advanced economies are increasingly turning to the oceans for new types of sustainable energy. While these advances in the blue economy offer substantial benefits, they also potentially create new vulnerabilities to natural disasters that could be highly disruptive to national economies and international trade. Thus, now more than ever, national, state and local governments need to proactively engage in disaster mitigation in their coastal regions.