Borton's Book Champions Blue Parks for South China Sea Peace

James Borton's latest book, Harvesting the Waves: How Blue Parks Shape Policy, Politics and Peacebuilding in the South China Sea, released on May 15, 2025, delves into the critical role of marine protected areas (MPAs) or 'blue parks' in conserving marine biodiversity and fostering peace in the contested waters of the South China Sea. Borton, a non-resident senior fellow at Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute, builds on his previous research to offer innovative solutions for collaboration among coastal states, highlighting the region's ecological significance and the livelihoods it supports. The book aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's goals and proposes a regional conservation forum to encourage collective stewardship.

Through examples like the Mediterranean Action Plan and the Red Sea Peace Park initiative, Borton illustrates how science-based cooperation and MPAs can serve as tools for diplomacy and conflict resolution. His work is a call to action for policymakers, scientists, and conservationists to protect the oceans during the Decade of the Ocean, addressing threats such as overfishing and destructive practices. For more insights, Borton's leadership at the July 2024 webinar and his policy recommendations underscore the global implications of his findings.