South Asian Seas Action Plan Show
A. Overview South Asia has some of the largest and biologically rich marine ecosystems, such as the Gulf of Mannar, Atolls of Maldives and Mangroves of Sundarbans. The presence of perennial rivers such as the Brahmaputra, Ganges, Godavari, Indus, Kelani, Magna, etc. have contributed to large networks of backwaters, estuaries, salt marshes and mangroves. The region, bordered to the north by the Himalayas and to the south by the Indian Ocean, covers a diversity of ecosystems from lush tropical forest to harsh, dry desert. The South Asian Seas (SAS) provides habitats for endangered marine turtles, for example the Green and Olive Ridley turtles. Some of the largest coastal lagoons of the world such as Chilka Lake in India and Puttalam lagoon in Sri Lanka are located within the region. The Lakshadweep and Nicobar group of islands of India and a few regions of Sri Lanka have fringing reefs. But if the marine environment of South Asian Seas is remarkable, the environmental problem the region faces 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 the future of the people. South Asia is one of the most populous regions, with over 1 billion people living in India alone. Although never remounted as a single country, the movements of peoples over thousands of years has resulted in strong commonalities between cultures. Yet there remains a huge diversity of languages, religions and outlooks across the sub-continent. Most of the South Asian nations share many similar environmental problems, stemming from poverty and its consequences on natural resources. According to the World Bank, during the past decade, South Asia has been the second fastest economically growing region in the world, and their efforts at increased production have put increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment. Significant natural resource concerns of the region include depletion of water quality and quantity, dwindling forests and coastal resources, and soil degradation resulting from nutrient depletion and salinization. B. Introduction South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) is an intergovernmental organization established by the South Asian countries to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region at the High-Level Meeting to Initiate SACEP held on February 1981 at Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is also the Secretariat of the South Asian Seas Programme as of 1995 covering the five marine states of South Asia namely Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Three land-locked countries of SACEP, namely Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal are important watersheds draining into South Asian Seas and are thus important stakeholders to this Seas Programme. SACEP is registered with the UN Secretariat as a multilateral organization in accordance with article 102 of the charter of the United Nations. Since its creation, SACEP has implemented a number of projects and programmes in the areas of environment education, environment legislation, biodiversity, air pollution, promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production, Waste Management, Climate Change and the protection and management of the coastal environment. C. The Convention and its related legal instruments
D. Organizational structure
E. Areas of work SACEP has an impressive record in capacity building and policy dialogue with government officials of member countries and other environmental stakeholders, developing and promoting tools and good practices for sustainable development and for public/stakeholder involvement, implementing ministerial mandates and contributing to international processes. Much of these efforts have been in the thematic areas of
These activities implemented under number of Strategic Programmes since SACEP’s inception. During the 2020–2030 period, SACEP will pursue the following strategic goals in the region. The goals define the core priorities and focus of SACEP for the next ten years: This goals are defined in the SACEP strategy (2020 – 2030) and builds on the decisions made by SACEP Governing Council at its previous sittings, SACEP’s own experiences of coordinating and assisting the region’s environment protection efforts over the years as well as from its needs advancing forward, Post 2015 South Asia Development Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The goals are:
F. Ongoing projects
G. Partnerships SACEP's work programme decided by the country governments, is also supported by several bilateral and multilateral donors. Organisations such as The World Bank, Parley for the Oceans, the Royal Governments of Norway, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), UNEP-GPA office in The Hague, Regional Seas Programme of UNEP and its outreach office in AIT, Bangkok, IMO, ESCAP and many others. SACEP has established close working relations and collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental organisations and private sectors to complement and supplement national efforts for the protection of the environment and for achieving goals of sustainable development. These include: United Nations Environment Programme, IMO - the International Maritime Organization, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, World Bank, The Asian Development Bank (ADB), The Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES, PARLEY for the Oceans, Bioversity International, International Nitrogen Management System, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI). H. Key achievements
I. Interesting Facts about South Asia
Contact us South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) Website:http://www.sacep.org/ Which of the following problems is a result of the population growth in South Asia quizlet?Because of this rapid growth, South Asian cities have serious problems with homelessness, poverty, congestion, water shortages, air pollution, and sewage disposal.
What is the name sometimes given to the region of South Asia?The term is often used synonymously with “Indian subcontinent,” though the latter term is sometimes used more restrictively to refer to Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
Which of the following statements is true regarding population density patterns in South Asia quizlet?Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding population density patterns in South Asia? There are two primary population clusters one running the length of the Ganges, the other along the Indus in neighboring Pakistan.
Which two nations of South Asia comprise the largest population in the region?Population in South Asia. South Asia has three of the ten most populous countries in the world. India is the second largest in the world, and Pakistan and Bangladesh are numbers five and six, respectively.
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