ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Pollution
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1577975
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvances in Marine Environmental Protection: Challenges, Solutions and Perspectives Volume IIView all 7 articles
Developing an Ocean Governance Regime for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: A Comparison of the Marine Environmental Legislation and Policy Framework by Utilising CRILL Methodology
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Law, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
- 2Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
- 3Bahria University Law School, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan., Islamabad, Pakistan
- 4School of Law, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
- 5School of Law, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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Bilateralism in ocean governance is a novel concept that can be developed under the existing International Environmental Law (IEL) and United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This research paper suggested that bilateralism in ocean governance is one of the Agenda of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14). This research paper utilised the methodology of a Comprehensive Review of Law and Relevant Literature (CRILL methodology) and developed a theoretical and legal framework for bilateral ocean governance with the elements of capacity building, adaptation, precautionary approach and participation. Under the given elements of CRILL methodology, this paper analysed and compared the ocean governance mechanisms of China and Pakistan and proposed that under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), these two States can develop a bilateral framework of ocean governance for the protection of the marine environment, preservation of fisheries and mitigation of ocean acidification and sea level rise. The results of the CRILL methodology are presented in the form of a proposal that institutional coordination is essential for the effectiveness of bilateral ocean governance cooperation, which is China’s regional agenda of BRI. Through such development, the two States, China and Pakistan, can share the mutual economic benefits of ocean development and can have a strong voice in the global ocean agenda.
Keywords: Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)1, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)2, climate change3, CRILL Methodology4, Ocean Governance5
Received: 17 Feb 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Wu, Butt, Batool and Murad Zaib Butt. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: M Jahanzeb Butt, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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