From pollution to finance: Linking marine pollution pathways and blue finance for coastal resilience in South Asia

South Asia's marine and coastal environments face escalating pressures from industrialization, urbanisation, and climate variability, yet policy responses remain fragmented and underfunded. This review synthesises sources, pathways, and impacts of marine pollution and advances a framework that integrates scientific assessment with blue finance mechanisms tailored to the region's socio-ecological realities. It considers both legacy contaminants (heavy metals, hydrocarbons, nutrients) and emerging threats (microplastics, pharmaceuticals, nanomaterials), linking them to governance and financial readiness. The review highlights how monsoonal hydrology, inadequate infrastructure, and institutional fragmentation intensify pollutant accumulation and economic vulnerability. It further examines state-of-the-art monitoring technologies, nature-based solutions, and persistent policy gaps. The paper's central contribution is a finance-ready pathway coupling scientific indicators with governance reforms and instruments such as blue bonds, trust funds, and risk-sharing facilities. By embedding pollution management in a blue economy framework, this study informs strategies for coastal resilience and sustainable ocean-based livelihoods.