Economic Opportunities and Livelihood Pathways for Local Coastal Communities in the Blue Economy: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Over the years, the blue economy has benefitted the local communities by fostering economic development, generating employment and promoting sustainability in coastal regions. However, research found that in reality, the local communities are still experiencing unequal livelihood influenced by market accessibility, governance and institutional factors. Thus, this study synthesized streams of literature on economic and livelihood opportunities for local communities living in the coastal regions by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). A total of 53 peer-reviewed articles were obtained from Scopus-indexed journals which were then analysed using thematic analysis and the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Method (TCCM) framework according to PRISMA guideline. Seven categories of opportunities were identified: aquaculture and mariculture, post-harvest processing and value addition, market access and infrastructure, tourism and cultural economies, conservation-linked finance, collective enterprise models, and livelihood diversification. The result indicates that these seven opportunities do not just function merely as an independent entrepreneurial venture, but rather as combinations of livelihood strategies determined by market inclusion, governance and institutional support. Additionally, the analysis of the TCCM framework found strong empirical focus in the Global South with theoretical fragmentation and reliance on qualitative case studies. Building on these findings, the review frames the blue economy from a new perspective as a conditional economic framework and places greater emphasis on inclusive coastal livelihood research.