Mika Sillanpää is a professor at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research centers on chemical treatment in environmental engineering, environmental monitoring, and resource recovery from waste streams.Sillanpää received his M.Sc. (Eng.) and D.Sc. (Eng.) degrees from the Aalto University where he also completed an MBA degree in 2013. Since 2000, he has been a full professor/adjunct professor at the University of Oulu, the University of Eastern Finland, the LUT University, the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Johannesburg.Dr. Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan’s degrees include a B.Sc. in chemistry from the Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia), a M.Sc. in environmental technology from the Thammasat University (Thailand), and a Ph.D. in applied chemical technology from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China). He is the author of over 130 peer-reviewed publications in ISI-rated journals, 26 conference proceedings, including 9 book chapters and 6 monographs on waste to energy and wastewater treatment. He received the 2010 Green Talent Award from German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the 2013 Young Scientist Award from the World Economy Forum (WEF) (Switzerland), and the 2014 Scope-Zhongyu (France) for his outstanding research contribution to the fields of study. Elsevier and Stanford University (US) listed him among the top 2% of highly cited scientists in the field of Environmental Sciences.

• Section 1: Towards a sustainable blue economy and ocean governance1.1 Blue Economy: Oceans as a huge, sustainable, and equitable economic system1.2 Charting a course for a sustainable blue economy.1.3 Global pathways for a secure and resilient blue economy1.4 Underpinning blue economy through a sustainable and equitable growth1.5 Unlocking the commercial value of oceans in blue economy1.6 Enhancing capacity building for ocean governance in blue economy1.7 Transitioning to a Blue Economy in Industry 4.0 era through digital technology in ocean management1.8 Blue economy: the way forward in Industry 4.0 era using digitalization of ocean governance.Section 2. Promoting a healthy ocean that benefits everyone.2.1 Life below water: Health challenges and solutions2.2 Sustainable economic, social, and environmental strategies to achieve healthy oceans.2.3 Keeping oceans healthy to keep the blue economy running.2.4 Covid-19 global pandemic: Impacts on Blue Economy and ocean health2.5 Turning the tide: Promoting a sustainable ocean recovery post-Covid19.Section 3. Contribution of Blue Economy to UN SDGs3.1 Uncovering the roles of oceans in promoting sustainable development.3.2 Blue economy in the UN SDGs: Challenges and opportunities3.3 Ocean conservation and development to advance the UN SDGsSection 4. Ocean: A secret weapon against climate change4.1 Empowering blue economy initiatives as solutions for climate change4.2 Ocean as nature-based solutions to climate change4.3 Ocean acidification as a physical indicator of climate change4.4 Impacts of ocean acidification on climate change and fisheries4.5 Promoting sustainable, resilient and inclusive blue economies to mitigate climate change.4.6 How the blue economy could save oceans from climate change?4.7 Energy from sea waves for climate change mitigation4.8 Ocean-based CO2 removal: a new frontier in blue economy for climate mitigation4.9 Blue economy: Opportunities and bottlenecks for green recoverySection 5. Improving ocean-based economies5.1 Riding the wave of blue economy: An ocean of opportunity.5.2 Strengthening sustainable ocean-based economies in coastal cities.5.3 Shaping the future of the world’s oceans through blue economy.6. Successful case-studies of blue economy 6.1 How archipelagic countries in global south can harness the blue economy?6.2 Prioritizing the blue economy to promote North-South global initiatives.6.3 Role of ocean finance in transitioning to a blue economy in Asia-Pacific6.4 Shaping a sustainable blue economy in Southeast Asian region.6.5 Nourishing the blue economy in North America for sustainable development.6.6 Ocean management in archipelagic countries7. Concluding remarksReferences