Local people depend on coastal and marine resources. People living within the WIO region have close ties to the marine environment, which provides them with both food and income. The more the environment becomes affected by increased coastal development, the more the livelihoods of people living on the coastal areas within the WIO will be affected. Many of the people living along the coastal areas are heavily reliant on the fisheries sector and therefore play an important role in the WIO region. Essentially the livelihoods of local people within the WIO are secured by the fisheries sector. The fisheries sector has an impact on both the economic and the social sectors in society.

Firstly, the fisheries sector creates employment opportunities for the local people and contributes significantly to the economies in the WIO region. Secondly, the fisheries sector is very important for social development. It should also be noted that many households within the WIO are dependent on fish and seafood as a source for protein and hence the fisheries sector contributes greatly to food security on a local level. Overall, fisheries contribute to the well-being and health of the population and it enhance the quality of life of the local people and contributes to poverty alleviation in the WIO region.

Tourism on the other hand, sometimes contributes to destruction of the marine environment and threatens the livelihoods of the local people. Local fishers loose their rights to pass to the beaches in some areas where there are tourism developments constructed along the coast. This may even occur in areas that have high quality and quantity of fish which makes people lose access to rich resources. Local fishers will then need to find new areas to fish. The coastal development and unplanned tourism activities will also in some situations cause degradation of the natural environment, which will affect the fish stocks negatively. Both these issues caused by unsustainable tourism developments in the WIO region contribute to reduced livelihoods opportunities for the people.