1. Greening
the Blue
African Centre for Technology Studies
(ACTS)
Researchers’ Seminar Series
Joel Onyango, ACTS, 2022

2. The Green Economy
– reducing environmental risks and ecological
scarcities, and that aims for sustainable
development without degrading the environment
– applies the triple bottom line of people, planet and
profits across all corporations at the microeconomic
level and throughout the entire economy at the
macroeconomic level.
Good Governance
Efficiency and
Sufficiency
Planetary
Boundaries
Justice
Wellbeing
Principles of Green Economy

3. The Blue Economy
– sustainable use of ocean (water)
resources for economic growth, improve
livelihoods and jobs while preserving the
health of ocean (water) ecosystems.
– Blue Economy in the African context
covers both aquatic and marine spaces,
including oceans, seas, coasts, lakes,
rivers, and underground water. It
encompasses a range of productive sectors,
including fisheries, aquaculture, tourism,
transport, shipbuilding, energy,
bioprospecting, and underwater mining and
related activities
Provides social and economic
benefits
Restore biological diversity
Governed by an inclusive,
innovative and proactive public
and private processes
Measurable impact that can be
communicated for decision making
Principles of Blue Economy

4. About the Blue
Empowerment (BE) Initiative
AQUACULTURE OF SEAWEEDS AND
FISH: OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLUE
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND
COVID-19 RESILIENCE OF FISHER
WOMEN IN KENYA
African Centre for
Technology Studies
(ACTS)
Kenya Industrial
Research And
Development
Institute (KIRDI)
Bahari CBO Network
Kenya Marine and
Fisheries Research
Institute (KMFRI)
Kenyatta University
(KU)
Sea Moss
Corporation Ltd
…and the People of
Kilifi and Kwale
Counties

5. Aim of the action Initiative
To contribute to the tackling of barriers for the empowerment of fisher
women in Kenya’s coastal region through adoption of climate-smart
integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) of seaweeds and fish for
improved livelihoods and resilience.

6. Objective 1
To provide state-
of-the-art
information for
equitable and
sustainable
adoption of fish-
seaweeds IMTA
among coastal
fisher communities
in Kenya.

7. Mwazaro community launching a
locally constructed cage to the
sea in Kwale.

8. Objective 2
To provide options
for enabling
policies, technology
uptake, and
governance
frameworks for
IMTA adoption and
women fisherfolk
empowerment.

10. Objective 3
To design, set-up,
test and optimise
gender
transformative fish-
seaweeds IMTA
solutions for the
socio-economic
empowerment,
COVID-19 and
Climate Change
resilience of fisher
women.

12. Objective 4
To promote knowledge
translation,
dissemination and
learning for IMTA
systems upscaling,
climate change and
COVID-19 response
strategies for the local
community and women
empowerment in Kwale
and Kilifi counties

13. Overview of the initiative
Planning &
Coordination
Work package 1
(WP1): Project
Planning and
Coordination
•Overall coordination,
ensuring inclusive
management and
coordination, & work
package coordination
•Budget and audits, and
monitoring, evaluation,
learning and reporting
Discovery
Work package 2
(WP2): To provide
state-of-the-art
information
•Barriers and
solutions/opportunities
for the equitable
adoption of fish-
seaweeds IMTA
(literature review,
baseline survey)
•Adaptive responses to
uncertainties of COVID-
19 and climate change
(process survey, life
histories
documentation)
Define
Work package 3
(WP3): Mapping
socio-technical
pathways
•Socio-technical gaps
critical for the
adoption and upscaling
of IMTA (rapid
technology assessment,
gendered policy
analysis, governance
analysis)
•Institutional,
organizational, policy
and governance
configurations (MCM
mapping value
chain/process
stakeholders, HCD
policy and strategy
recommendations)
Develop
Work package 4
(WP4): Optimizing
gender
transformative fish-
seaweeds IMTA
•Optimized set-up for
IMTA (suitability
mapping, comparative
analysis of IMTA
design, transect
analysis)
•Optimized value chain
scenarios for gender
transformative IMTA
(IMTA scaling models,
inclusive innovation &
co-production,
development of business
models)
Deliver
Work package 5
(WP5): Promoting
knowledge
translation,
dissemination and
learning
•Research users'
engagement (capacity
building, field days,
benchmarking, awareness
campaigns, training
manuals translations,
business incubation)
•Transformative
technologies and
business models
(impact, communication,
engagement)

14. How is the initiative Greening
the Blue? Project Planning and
Coordination
To provide state-of-the-art
actionable socio-cultural
information
Mapping socio-technical
policy and institutional
pathways
Optimizing gender
transformative technology
Promoting knowledge
translation, dissemination
and learning
Internal project
processes
Project
engagements

15. How is the initiative Greening
the Blue?
Project Planning and
Coordination
To provide state-of-the-art
actionable socio-cultural
information
Mapping socio-technical
policy and institutional
pathways
Optimizing gender
transformative technology
Promoting knowledge
translation, dissemination
and learning
Promoting good
governance
Inclusive,
innovative and
proactive
processes
Communication
for decision
making
Sustainable
production &
Consumption
Equity within
generations
Collective
prosperity
Restore nature
Social economic
benefits
Restores
Biodiversity

16. How is the initiative Greening
the Blue?
Green Indicators
Blue Indicators Good
governance
Efficiency &
Sufficiency
Planetary
boundaries
Justice Wellbeing
Promoting social
& economic
benefits
Formal & informal
governance
frameworks for
decision making
Intensive
mariculture system
environmental
remediation
Gender
transformative
development
Sustainable business
models
Restorative
biological
diversity
Alternative
exploitation of
marine/aquatic
resources
Low-carbon
technology
Waste bioremediation
Inclusive &
innovative
processes
Formative
perspectives for
decision making
Diversity of products
from integrated set-up
(Integrated
Multitrophic
Aquaculture systems)
Internal & external
inclusive economy
Provides
opportunities for
ocean-depend
communities
Inclusive business
models for impact that
enable WEE
Communication
for impact
Policy dialogues Multiple pathways for
sustainable resources
exploitation
Community
engagements and
dialogues
Business units
support for
sustainable

17. Achievements
– Initiated information
gathering in Kilifi and
Kwale counties in Kenya
– Discovery phase of the
initiatives – setting the
baseline
– Blogs, Podcasts, Videos

18. Achievements
– Communication
framework towards
impact.
– Outputs targeted at
policy, practice and
research
https://blueeconomy.a
cts-net.org/

19. Achievements
– Diversity in the team
contributing to
inclusivity

20. Achievements
– Fabrication of an
Innovative Fish
Fingerling
Transport Unit =
optimizing low
carbon technology
promoting
restorative
biological diversity

21. Achievements
– Impactful communication material
Podcast (Kibokoni 1, Kibokoni 2 ….)
Seaweed Framing in Kibuyuni:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4LPT4MNDRM
Seaweed Processing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvLM04NIU_M
Crab Fattening, Dabaso, Kilifi County:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsOM1KEt04E&t=483s
Fish Framing in Kibokoni, Kilifi County:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wOo-
rmHEQo&t=221s

22. The Blue Empowerment Project
Thank you!