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Do you know how important the coast is to the human economy?
The coast is the junction between land and water and has an indispensable impact on human economic development and ecological environment. According to the United Nations, about 44% of the world's population lives within 150 kilometers of the ocean. This data highlights the close relationship between coasts and offshore areas for human life. Coasts provide a variety of resources required for human activities and form rich ecosystems.
Coasts are not only hotbeds of biodiversity but also an important part of the global food and economic systems.
With the acceleration of urbanization, more and more cities and communities are choosing to build themselves near the coastline. Major cities along the coast, such as New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, are not only hubs of economic activity but also centers of tourism, attracting tourists from all over the world. The potential for tourism on the coast seems endless, and it has become an important driver of economic growth in these areas.
Coastal tourism activities, such as beach holidays, surfing and fishing, create a large number of employment opportunities and contribute to the growth of the local economy.
In addition to tourism, coastal fisheries also provide livelihoods to many communities. Whether commercial or recreational fishing, these economic activities depend on healthy marine ecosystems. However, issues such as overfishing, climate change and marine pollution pose serious threats to coastal fisheries. Of course, these challenges have prompted governments and non-governmental organizations to begin to pay attention to the need for sustainable operations and formulate relevant policies to protect and restore marine resources.
At the ecosystem level, coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, salt flats and seagrass beds not only provide diverse habitats, but also act as natural barriers to reduce disaster risks caused by storm surges and rising sea levels. The carbon capture capabilities of these ecosystems also make them important assets in the fight against climate change.
Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass beds have a higher capacity to capture carbon and mitigate climate change.
However, as various pressures grow, coastal ecosystems face increasing challenges. Extreme weather events due to climate change, rising sea levels, and climate-induced coastal erosion are forcing many communities to reassess their dependence on the coast. In addition, the expansion of coastal development often threatens originally rich ecosystems, exacerbated by pollution and damage.
Globally, the international community has begun to recognize the importance of protecting marine ecosystems. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 focuses on the survival of life underwater and aims to ensure sustainable use of marine resources and protect the diversity of marine ecosystems. The period from 2021 to 2030 is known as the "United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration". This initiative aims to promote ecosystem restoration work on a global scale.
As people wake up, the protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems has become an important global task because it will affect future generations.
From an economic perspective, the coast is not only an important regional resource, but also involves broader issues such as international trade, shipping and security. The government must consider the sustainability of the coast when formulating relevant policies to ensure the long-term supply and use of natural resources. Therefore, paying attention to the continuous changes of the coast is crucial to the long-term planning of human society.
As the world faces numerous environmental challenges, should we pay more attention to and rethink the use and protection of coasts and their resources to ensure a sustainable lifestyle in the future?
