Management of the World Bank thanks the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) for the opportunity to provide comments on Making Waves: World Bank Support for the Blue Economy, 2012–23. The evaluation assesses the implementation of the World Bank’s blue economy approach to address ocean and coastal governance from 2012 to 2023. This agenda is critical because the ocean and coastal resources are integral to inclusive growth, jobs, livelihoods, food and nutrition security, and a livable planet. The report is also relevant for the evolution discussion and the Global Challenge Programs. Management thanks IEG for its ongoing collaboration.

World Bank Management Response

Overall

Management is pleased that the report acknowledges the progress made by the World Bank to integrate the blue economy lens into country diagnostics and operations. Notwithstanding the focus on assessing fidelity of actions to a particular definition of the blue economy, the report recognizes progress made by the World Bank in the overall agenda to emphasize further attention to scale-up and replication. Using focused analytics that support a holistic approach to the blue economy and incorporating the blue economy approach into country diagnostics of coastal nations, including small island developing states, is important given their acute vulnerability to climate change and economic reliance on coastal and marine natural assets. The blue economy remains a priority for the World Bank Group as signaled by having dedicated ocean-related Scorecard indicators under the green and blue planet and resilient populations outcome area and by recognizing the blue economy contribution to several other Scorecard indicators (for example, those related to food and nutrition security and renewable energy).

Management appreciates the recognition given to the groundbreaking PROBLUE multidonor trust fund, which has contributed to the uptake of the blue economy approach and the expansion of the investment portfolio. PROBLUE has been recently extended to 2030 and will continue to act as a blue economy accelerator for clients, leveraging donor financing and supporting building a robust pipeline of investments. PROBLUE has also been at the forefront of numerous strong partnerships not only at the global and regional levels but also at the country level.

Management welcomes the report’s recognition of the World Bank’s work on regional platforms and enabling conditions. Considerable progress has been made in advancing the blue economy agenda, especially given the lengthy time frames and behavioral shifts that are necessary to transition to the blue economy approach. The World Bank has made use of financial instruments, including development policy operations, to help build enabling conditions for the adoption of the blue economy approach and has strengthened regional platforms. Progress is noteworthy in strengthening the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program Platform, various regional fisheries bodies, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ capacity to address coastal resilience, sustainable fisheries, and marine plastic pollution. The World Bank also made efforts to strengthen governance systems, including institutional arrangements, policies, and regulations, and to support marine spatial planning in a growing number of countries.

Recommendations

Management agrees with the first recommendation to further articulate the commitment to helping clients achieve a more holistic meaning of the blue economy. Although management believes that climate change and biodiversity are implicitly embedded in the World Bank’s existing definition of the blue economy, it agrees that the explanatory statement could include these elements more explicitly. Management concurs that these changes would better highlight the integration of the various oceanic sectors under the blue economy approach, as described in Riding the Blue Wave: Applying the Blue Economy Approach to World Bank Operations. This will help redouble the efforts to communicate the multiple dimensions of the blue economy both internally and among partners and clients in relevant country engagements.

Management agrees with the second recommendation on proactively supporting a holistic blue economy approach in coastal and marine areas. The blue economy work continues to evolve, and the management remains committed to proactively supporting clients to achieve sustainable and inclusive development of coastal and marine areas through the blue economy approach. Management welcomes IEG’s assessment on how to better integrate the blue economy in country diagnostics (Systematic Country Diagnostics and Country Climate and Development Reports) but notes that the World Bank’s work is country driven and focused on priorities identified by each country to meet their development goals. Management will continue operationalizing the blue economy approach in relation to country contexts; how it plays out in real time at the seascape level will look different—in scale and shape—from country to country.

Management agrees with the third recommendation on working effectively with partners and clients to help them develop necessary policy and institutional reforms in support of blue economy objectives. Management agrees with the recommendation to strengthen partnerships at the regional level and to promote the uptake of the blue economy approach across Global Practices and country units. Management will continue using the PROBLUE trust fund to implement the blue economy approach across sectors and to advance the report’s recommendations.