Environmental Problems of the South Asian Seas Region: An Pverview - UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 82

This document outlines UNEP’s 1987 overview of environmental problems in the South Asian Seas region—Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—developed within the Regional Seas Programme to guide an action plan linking assessment, management, legislation, and institutional financing. It summarizes regional oceanography (monsoons, currents, salinity, tides, waves) and identifies major pressures: untreated domestic wastewater and solid waste, oil pollution from shipping and ports, agricultural runoff of fertilizers and pesticides, localized industrial effluents, and tourism-related strains on water, sanitation, and coasts. It documents coastal erosion and sedimentation, and the status and threats to mangroves, coral reefs, and fisheries, emphasizing health risks and ecosystem degradation. The report recommends coordinated country reports, legislative frameworks, and targeted projects to protect and manage marine and coastal environments.