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Regional Priorities: domestic sewage, agricultural runoff, industrial facilities, and solid waste

Seven marine regional groupings recently set out their priority problems in land-based activities at the end of the 1990s.

The UN's leading marine scientists report:

Domestic sewage is the top priority for all seven regions. Agricultural runoff and industrial facilities are each assigned either second or third priority by 5 of the 7 regions. The remaining two regions, Eastern Africa and the South Pacific consider solid waste as the 2^nd highest priority. In East Africa this is because of concerns about physical habitat alteration due to landfills.

In the South Pacific it achieves this ranking because of concerns about physical alteration, the release of nutrients and toxic substances from waste dumps, the limited space available on small islands for solid waste disposal, and the effects of litter on tourism and the environment.

Habitat modification or directly related sources such as urban and port development, reclamation and landfill, and dredging are ranked 3-5 by all seven regions. [...]

Nutrients, sediment mobilization, POPs, and to a lesser extent physical alteration and heavy metals are also widely perceived as high priorities

Other concerns go beyond land-based activities encompassed in UNEP's Global Plan of Action. The most widespread example concerns the discharge of organic wastes - specifically biological oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) - from sources other than sewage. Many regions identify this as a significant problem, but BOD and SS are not explicitly listed in the GPA/LBA.

Another example is the importance of thermal and hypersaline effluents from power and desalination plants in the Red Sea/ Gulf of Aden region.

The GESAMP conclusion: Thus, while common priorities at global and regional levels form a basis for common action and resource sharing, regions and countries should not be obstructed in obtaining resources where their specific priorities differ from those at higher levels.

Source: GESAMP71:62-63