Measuring achievements towards SDG 14, life below water, in the United Arab Emirates

This study analyzes the marine policy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving sustainable development goal 14, life below water. The United Nations (UN) definition of SDG 14 provides an international framework for the protection of coastal ecosystems with a particular emphasis on sustainable fishery. However, several targets included in this goal are ambiguous, where comparative data does not exist in UN databases. Bertelsmann-Stiftung sustainable development and Ocean Health Index (OHI) databases support alternative indicators with reliable data, thereby providing better insights. Notably, the indicators listed in OHI are more comprehensive, providing better assessment for measuring national progress towards sustaining the life below water.