Ms Eugenie Khani and Ms Uvicka Bristol, from the James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute, attended the Australia Awards Fellowships on ‘Capacity building in Blue Economy with emphasis on Blue Carbon’. The fellowship was held from the 22nd October – 9th November 2017 in several cities across Australia – Perth, Shark Bay, Brisbane, and Canberra. Its aim was to build capacity in the application of Blue Economy principles and methods in the Indo-Pacific, with particular emphasis on Blue Carbon.
The Blue Economy allows multiple development goals to be addressed through a single policy framework that incorporates economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness. The fellowships encompassed all of these Blue Economy aspects, and included training in global policy drivers, legal and finance instruments, and assessment of Blue Carbon resources. Through a flexible delivery fellows were taken beyond the lecture theatre and into the field to observe and learn from real ecosystems. Fellows also travelled to Canberra to listen and talk to key people actively engaged in the development and application of policy.