Environment and Enterprise: The Case of Malacca Strait

PUBLICATION DATE:

Saturday, July 01, 1995

PUBLICATION TYPE:

Magazines and Newsletters

STATUS:

Out of Print

DESCRIPTION:

This issue of the Tropical Coasts discusses the Malacca and Singapore Straits, collectively known as the Malacca Straits. Under the UNCLOS, the straits are designated as international sea lanes. Being the shortest and most economical trade route between the high seas of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, it has become the busiest in maritime traffic. Since the end of the Second World War, numerous scientific studies have been conducted on the straits by the bordering littoral and user states as well as under the auspices of international agencies. Such studies covered coastal ecosystems, hydrodynamics, mineral resources, marine pollution, fisheries, and socioeconomic activities. In addition, legal and institutional studies have been conducted on the use of the straits for navigation and trade including the issues on oil pollution from ships backed by numerous local, regional, and international workshops and conferences. There is a need now for concrete actions to put into effect the many findings and strategies that are deemed of paramount importance for the best use and protection of the straits. Certainly, the implementation of the Malacca Straits demonstration project under the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pollution in the East Asian Seas (MPP-EAS) is timely. The project not only deals with issues on the straits' use as international sea lanes but also the management of its resources and environment within an integrated, multi-users, and holistic framework as promoted under Chapter 17 of Agenda 21 as well as in the provisions of the UNCLOS and relevant international conventions.