The South Asian Seas Regional Programme with the participation of India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka is one of the 13 Regional Seas Programmes of the United Nations Environment Programme. An Action Plan for protection and management of marine environment and South Asian seas was adopted on 24th March, 1995, in a meeting of the Plenipotentiaries held in New Delhi. India is the repository of the Final Act conveying the adoption of the Action Plan by the countries concerned.

Highlights of the Action Plan

The objective of the Action Plan is to protect and manage the marine environment and related coastal ecosystems of the region. This objective includes the promotion of sustainable development and sound management of regional marine and coastal resources by:

establishing and enhancing consultations and technical co-operation among States of the region;

emphasising the economic and social importance of the resources of the marine and coastal environment; and

establishing a regional co-operative network of activities concerning concrete subjects/projects of mutual interest for the whole region. The Action Plan has identified the following priority projects:

Development of Model Integrated Coastal Zone Management plans

Development and Implementation of National and Regional Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Plan

Human Resource Development through strengthening Regional Centres of Excellence

Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based activities

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), Colombo, Sri Lanka, has been designated as the Secretariat of the programme. The activities relating to the priority projects include preparation of the detailed project reports for submission to various international funding agencies for implementation of the projects.