Rivers, lakes, seas and oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the surface of earth and plays a key role in supporting life. Oceans and seas support the most diverse ecosys- tems, contribute and regulate the climate, provide natu- ral resources including food, materials, substances, and energy and also act as carbon sinks. SDG 14 seeks to address some of the challenges faced by the life under water – threats of marine and nutrient pollution, resource depletion and climate change, degradation and loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification, all of which are caused primarily by human actions. The Goal advocates corrective human measures including effectively regulating harvest- ing and overfishing, protecting marine and coastal ecosys- tems, increasing scientific knowledge to improve ocean health and providing access for small-scale artisanal fish- ers to marine resources and markets.
Several initiatives have been undertaken to protect the marine and coastal ecosystems, mangrove and coral reefs. The maximum sustainable yield in Fishing registered growth over the year.
There are 10 targets in Goal 14 to measure the health and services of water related ecosystems. A total of 11 indica- tors have been identified at national level to measure and monitor the progress of these targets and data is available for 9 indicators.
