Recent evidence shows human contamination of coastal waters has a significant impact on marine life. As a large part of communities depend on fisheries, it is likely that this problem is already having a negative impact on the local socio-economic development of these countries. However, knowledge about this phenomenon is still very limited.
A new project awarded with an ERC grant, from Nova SBE (Nova School of Business & Economics) and NOVAFRICA will produce scientific knowledge about the consequences of pollution for human development, and will contribute to inform policy decisions, as international organizations recognize the need for urgent global action to prevent all types of marine pollution.
Healthy coastal waters play a critical role in global food security, which requires to assess the effect of their contamination on economic development. The Ocean supports the livelihoods of more than 3 billion people, the vast majority of whom are in low- and middle-income countries, so the expected impact of this project is of enormous relevance worldwide.