Sustainable blue aspirations in times of war: Lessons from Odesa

The war in Ukraine has created unprecedented risks for coastal communities and marine-dependent economic sectors in the region; presenting an existential 'burden' and radically reshaping the conditions under which the blue economy operates along the north-western Black Sea coast. In the midst of this geopolitical instability, the Odessa region, including the Odesa Bay, remains one of the few functioning maritime hubs of Ukraine; albeit plagued by simultaneous pressures from security threats, infrastructure damage, disrupted logistics, restricted access to resources, pollution risks, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic instability. Against this backdrop where survival itself is uncertain, the core question surrounding the development of a sustainable blue economy is framed as one that examines how can equity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability be operationalised in the face of an acute existential crisis. This paper argues that sustaining an equitable and viable blue economy under such conditions depends on two interlinked processes: first, maintaining inclusive dialogue among science, government, business, and civil society to negotiate priorities, trade-offs, while fulfilling responsibilities in real time; and second, developing pragmatic, adaptive packages of action that translate sustainability and equity principles into context-sensitive practice. The paper examines how blue economy objectives are interpreted, constrained, and operationalised in a war-affected coastal region, to see beyond the present in order to co-create sustainable blue transition pathways. The study contributes to broader debates on the burdens and opportunities of being "blue,"; offering insights into how equity, environmental protection, and economic survival can be balanced when idealistic frameworks meet extreme real-world constraints.