South Asian Seas


International actors and agreements in the region

See Global action and Global actors.

UNEP Regional Seas Programme. ••>

UNEP Global programme of action for the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities (UNEP GPA). ••>

UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). ••>

UNEP Regional Resource Centre for Asia and Pacific (RRC.AP). ••>

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). ••>

Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSnet). ••>

Regional conventions, agreements, action plans and actors

Action Plan for the Protection and Management of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the South Asian Seas Region. • South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP). ••>

World Bank–GEF: Preparation of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and Preliminary Framework Strategic Action Program for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem.

Indian Ocean MoU on Port State Control. ••>

National action

Oil and Gas Maps of India. Maps of oil refineries, and oil and gas pipelines in India.

Regional reports on the state of the marine and coastal environment

UNEP Regional Seas: "Our seas are rich in shallow tropical marine species, our estuaries are lined with extensive mangroves, and our islands are sheltered by magnificent coral reefs. But if our environment is remarkable, our environmental problems are all too mundane: expanding human populations, oil transport across the Arabian Sea, heavy use of agricultural and industrial chemicals, harmful fishing practices, and ill-planned land use. These pressures have destroyed important habitat, driven many wildlife species near to extinction, and altogether compromised our peoples’ future".

GUNEP: Asia Pacific Environment Outlook 2. Published periodically to present the state of environment and its trend in the region. The report aims to critically review the existing status of the environment, the driving forces for changes, and the existing set of policy initiatives undertaken to confront environmental challenges.

UNEP GPA: South Asian Seas (brief description of environmental state, priority issues).

State of the Environment South Asia 2001. Published in conjunction with the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP).

ESCAP: State of the Environment in Asia and the Pacific 2000.

UNEP: Global Environment Outlook 3 (GEO3). Coastal and marine areas.

University of Rhode Island: Large Marine Ecosystems (LME): The region includes parts of the Arabian Sea LME and parts of the Gulf of Bengal LME.

Private sector and NGOs actors and initiatives

Oilwatch. ••>

International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF). ••>

International Directory of Oil Spill Cleanup Contractors and Response Organisations. ••>

International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA). ••>

On 27 July 2003., Greek tanker Tasman Spirit grounded off the port of Karachi in Pakistan. The vessel was carrying a cargo of 67,000 tonnes of crude oil intended for the national refinery in Karachi . A number of tanks were breached and oil began leaking. About 27,000 tonnes of cargo were released into the sea, some 25,500 tonnes could be removed from the ship, and a further 14,500 tonnes remained on board until recoverd in early September. Photo: © Planetark