Transboundary Environmental Issues of Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) and Role of Evolving International Environmental Law Obligations

Abstract

The Bay o f Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) is bordered eight countries, from largest to smallest, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh and Malaysia. The combine total population of BOLME countries account to 1.78 billion, which is equivalent to 25% of the world population. The region comprises rich living and non living resources that sustain major fisheries of the world and energy resources. The current fisheries production is estimated to 6 million tonnes per year, which account to 16% of the world’s marine catch. With the rapid expansions of populations, high dependency on aquatic resources for food, trade, livelihoods and as well as increased land use are having major impacts on the marine ecosystem. Transboundary diagnostic analysis and causal chain analysis has been conducted on overexploitation of the marine living resources, degradation of mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass and marine pollution. Review of causal chain analysis indicates that the existing international environmental regime has failed to adequately deal with the BOBLME countries. As a result, there is little commitment across the world community to the success of the global environmental regime - and little sense of the importance or legitimacy lodged in the institutions that make up this regime. The ecosystem approach is more practical than zones defined by law of the sea to manage oceans with the context of present day issues. LMEs need an active involvement and participation of all multi state stakeholders and sufficient law should be ensured collectively.