Waitt Foundation

Islands need economic growth and the oceans need islands as marine stewards.

Islands are home to a small portion of the world’s population but a significant amount of the world’s Exclusive Economic Zones — coastal waters and seabeds to which countries claim exclusive rights. These areas are rich with natural resources which can benefit the local population and world at large. However, many of these same islands struggle with issues such as poverty and child mortality. They face persistent threats from sea level rise, hurricanes and typhoons, which are only getting worse due to climate change.

The Waitt Foundation, Blue Prosperity Coalition, and the IoES work together to promote growth and prosperity while empowering sustainable management of marine resources and ecosystems. Together we seek sustainable development of the blue economy resulting in economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.

The locations where we do this work are selected by the Blue Prosperity Coalition. And the specific projects are defined in collaboration with our government partners. We offer technical assistance and acknowledge that all selected projects must be embraced and implemented by the governments themselves for longevity. There is no one size fits all solution to sustainable development of the blue economy.

Here at UCLA, the IoES coordinates work with collaborators from different schools and departments across campus. The program is headed by Peter Kareiva as the Principal Investigator, Jennie Dean as the Program Director, and Amos Peters as the Development Economist.

Please visit the Blue Prosperity Coalition website to learn more.