“Ocean Literacy as a concept and approach is evolving rapidly, moving from a tool applied mainly in formal education and training contexts to one that engages society as a whole, aiming to inspire actions toward ocean sustainability” (UNESCO, 2020, p1).
Recent developments in the maritime sector have highlighted a concerning condition known as “sea blindness,” which describes the general public’s lack of awareness of marine operations and the ocean’s critical role in national prosperity and livelihoods. While once used as a temporary measure to describe this knowledge gap, the term is now considered outdated and insufficient for addressing the need for broader societal understanding.
In response, ocean literacy has emerged as a positive, solution-oriented movement recognized by the United Nations. It seeks to educate people globally about the importance of the oceans and the need to protect them. Unlike the concept of sea blindness, ocean literacy emphasizes understanding the ocean’s relevance to daily life, fostering connection, awareness and proactive engagement. Through education, communication and societal involvement, it promotes sustainable behaviours and empowers communities to take meaningful action in safeguarding marine environments.
Achieving global commitments to sustainable development requires increased public awareness of the ocean and the significance of sustainable ocean use or ocean literacy. Strategies for encouraging attitudes and behaviours that support the sustainable use of natural settings are receiving more and more attention on a global scale. According to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021–2030 a “rigorous ocean literacy program of activities” is required to raise public awareness and information that may direct sustainable behaviours and inform decision-making.
An increasing number of stressors, such as pollution, overfishing and climate change, are endangering the Arabian Sea. Together, these stressors show how urgently the Pakistan needs better knowledge of the ocean and sustainable marine environment management. In Pakistan, one of the most frequent causes of conservation failure is ignoring the human and social aspects of the ocean, underscoring the pressing need for initiatives that improve people’s awareness of, connection to and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours toward the ocean.
Opportunities for people to interact and establish direct connections with ocean habitats are threatened by urbanization, growing human populations and socioeconomic inequality. Involving society and communities in discussions about the ocean can result in the interchange of non-scientific knowledge, such as indigenous, traditional and local knowledge, as well as the collective creation of new knowledge.
Since the term “ocean literacy” was first used, it has expanded beyond the boundaries of the globe and is becoming more widely acknowledged as a worldwide movement. There is a need to identify a deficiency of ocean-related courses in formal education and created a thorough framework to promote the inclusion of ocean sciences in national and state-standard education.
Increasing public knowledge and awareness of the ocean is crucial for fostering a stronger bond with it, encouraging behavioural change and bolstering support for solutions that lessen or eliminate human impacts on marine habitats and resources. The directionality and connections between the various aspects of ocean literacy need to be investigated and better comprehended as they continue to change. The goal of increasing ocean literacy necessitates that learning be integrated not only into educational tools and curricula but also in policy development.
The goal of increasing ocean literacy necessitates that learning be integrated not only into educational tools and curricula but also in policy development. Society must be aware of the potential for involvement with the ocean (e.g. maritime career, consultations etc), ocean challenges and broader ocean governance and decision-making in order to fulfil the goal of sup-porting and fostering meaningful public participation in ocean issues. Therefore, increasing society awareness of ocean challenges and the ability “to make a difference” must be one of the goals of increasing global ocean literacy.
Ocean literacy is guiding us toward a sustainable future. It gives us the ability to comprehend the risks, make connections and take significant action. Because every action we take to con-serve the ocean directly affects human security in the future, this is not only an issue of environmental stewardship but also one of intergenerational justice.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
