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Parley on minimising danger to South Asia's marine and coastal environment

by Sarath Malalasekera and Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

A conference focusing to minimise the risks and dangers to South Asia's marine and coastal environment is currently in progress at the Hotel Galadarai, Colombo. The conference which commenced on Monday ended yesterday (30).

Participants included senior Government officials, NGO and private sector officials from the South Asia region, under the flagship of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

One of the major threats to health, productivity and biodiversity of the world's oceans result from human activities on land in coastal areas and further inland which accounts for some 80 per cent of the population in the ocean.

In response to these problems, 108 Governments and the European Commission have come forward to address the issue of protecting and preserving the marine environment from adverse enviornmental impacts through the Global Programm of Action for the protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities(GPA) which works in collaboration with the UNEP.

Addressing a press conference on the first day of the conference, Coordinator UNEP-GPA Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd said under the 2002 -2006 work programme, the GPA Coordination Office focuses on moving from planning to action.

Amongst the activities based for action will be to focus on action building on the achievement of national level programmes, facilitating the mobilisation of financial resources, building partnership with the private sector and civil society. Dr. Vandeweerd also noted that they would pay attention in linking marine and costal issues with concerns of the fresh water management community and cooperation and coordination with other international organisations.

The GPA also addresses issues such as coastal legislation in South Asia, urban pollution including sewerage, water discharge from shrimp farms, problems arising from irrigated agriculture such as the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, ship breaking and oil spills from shore facilities.

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