Toward a Sustainable Blue Economy in the Coastal Zone: Case Study of an Industrialized Coastal Ecosystem in Greece

Abstract

Representing 9% of the land worldwide, the coastal zone is a highly populated part of the land, where economic and social growth continuously arise. An expected consequence of rapid development on the coastal zone is the creation of significant environmental pressures connected to human activities. Within this framework, the need to use the ecosystem services concept under the prism of sustainable development has risen to increase the provision of services to the people through an ecosystem approach using the human–environment interaction. The aim of this paper is to form an integrated approach for sustainable blue economy in a coastal ecosystem, using the SDGs and the ecosystem services frameworks and exploring the interlinkages of the ecosystem’s parameters from both sides. The outcome of this study is the formation of a decision-making tool for sustainable blue economy in a coastal ecosystem, which classifies the SDGs with a specific factor, according to their importance for the sustainable blue economy, and helps stakeholders prioritize their actions toward the achievement of sustainability in the specific ecosystem. A case study of this approach is Elefsis Gulf, a coastal ecosystem in the eastern Mediterranean, located 18 km from the historic city of Athens, Greece.

Sustainable and blue tourism in the light of e-commerce development and economic growth– A Meta-Analysis

“…Technology has unquestionably transformed the global tourism sector, particularly in Blue Tourism, although more must be done to raise awareness of using it accurately. In the present study, a serious scientific effort was made to identify the gaps through a meta-analysis on the evolution of blue tourism and e-commerce (Mello et al,2023;Pournara et al,2023;De Brito & Silviero,2023;Pournara et al, 2022;Mani et al2022;Tianming,2021;Sharafuddin et al,2020;Su-San et al,2020;Hampton, & Jeyacheya,2020;Jones & Navarro,2018;Grellier et al,2017;King,2004 ). In terms of theoretical implications, this meta-analysis has contributed to the body of knowledge on blue tourism, sustainability, and e-commerce.…”

“…Various research has contributed to this matter especially between 2019-2023 (Liang, et al, 2022;Alonso-Muñoz et al,2022;Grdinić & Škurić,,2021;Praptiwi et al,2021;Sharafuddin et al,2020;Pforr,2001 ). Coastal marketing is one of the strategies used to promote tourism by highlighting Blue Flag beaches for their environmental quality (Pournara et al,2023;Pournara et al,2022;Mani et al,2022;Khan et al,2020;Shomshekova, et al,2020;Mishra et al,2020;Satariano,2019;Jones& Navarro,2018;Creo & Fabroni,2011) Wysokińska, 2017). Thus, we can state with confidence that e-commerce used in the travel industry generally has a good effect on the social, cultural, and economic spheres.…”

Toward Climate Neutrality: A Comprehensive Overview of Sustainable Operations Management, Optimization, and Wastewater Treatment Methods

“…The principles and innovations instituted by ancient Greek civilizations provide foundational knowledge, offering insights for developing sustainable, efficient, and adaptable solutions to contemporary challenges. Nowadays, research in Greece has advanced and recommends the use of modern techniques focusing on coastal zones [9] aiming to develop an integrated approach for a sustainable blue economy in a coastal ecosystem using Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ecosystem services frameworks. The study created a decision-making tool for this, classifying SDGs based on importance and helping stakeholders prioritize actions, taking the Elefsis Gulf as a case study, a coastal ecosystem near Athens, Greece.…”