Transforming Sri Lanka's Maritime Future with UDA Framework

Abstract

Sri Lanka, an island nation with a massive civilisational legacy, has an advantageous geostrategic location in the Indian Ocean. The geopolitical power play pushed Sri Lanka into a hotbed of strategic manoeuvres. The tropical waters of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have massive potential for economic growth and prosperity. However, the absence of homegrown technology made the region dependent on the west-driven technology and know-how, which underperformed there as they were developed to work in temperate and polar waters. The governance mechanism has to be strong to retain strategic autonomy by building its internal capabilities. Digital transformation is the de facto tool for governance like the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), promoted as the tool for enhanced ocean governance by the United Nations. This paper discusses the digital transformation with a special focus on Sri Lanka as a case study to prioritise Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) for safe, secure, and sustainable growth for the tropical waters of the IOR.