DEGRADATION OF MARINE ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: A STUDY OF CONFLICT AND COOPERATION AND LESSONS FOR SOUTH ASIA

Outline

1. Introduction 2. The Degradation of Marine Environment in Southeast
and South Asia: A Comparative Analysis 3. Marine Degradation in Southeast Asia and Resultant Conflicts: Reflections on the Prospective Threats to
South Asia 4. Management of Marine Environment in Southeast and South Asia: Strategies for Prospective Cooperation 5. Concluding Remarks

DEGRADATION OF MARINE ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: A STUDY OF CONFLICT AND COOPERATION AND LESSONS FOR SOUTH ASIA

Author: Abul Kalam Azad

DOI Link: DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2006v27n2a1

ABSTRACT

Southeast Asia, a region remarkably maritime in nature, consists of marine and coastal areas that are among the worlds most productive in terms of marine resources –both renewable and non-renewable. Because of economic benefits that can be derived from the rich and diverse ecosystems of the region, the coastal zones ofSoutheast Asia are densely populated accounting for nearly 60% of the region’s population. While the sea is a source of prosperity for all the coastal countries in the region, it is, at the same time, the source of a variety of dangers, unknown in any other part of the globe with the same intensity. These dangers include conflict over marine resources, marine environmental degradation, maritime disputes, non-state political violence and trans-national crimes. As a result, in the contemporary world, concernfor maritime security is more at the forefront of Southeast Asia than in any other part of the world. While successful response to various forms of danger in the maritime environment entails cooperation at the levels, national, regional and inter-regional, Southeast Asian cooperative endeavours at the mentioned levels are currently inadequate in terms of facing the dangers posed to its marine environment. However, in recent years, a host of structural, economic and normative factors are leading to greater cooperation among the Southeast Asian littorals in order to keep the marine environment of the region a safe and stable one. The paper tries to probe into the scenario of conflict and cooperation as prevalent in the present day marine environment of Southeast Asia and then examine whether a similar situation is discernible in case of South Asian marine environment too. In this respect, the paper argues that the lessons drawn from the current cooperative efforts of Southeast Asian states can be relevant for the littorals of South Asia as well.

BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

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