Ecology and Conservation of Southeast Asian Marine and Freshwater Environments including Wetlands

A major concern among ecologists in and outside the ASEAN region is the degradation of the environment, and the over-exploitation of freshwater and marine resources. There is, as yet, no indication that freshwater and marine resources are being managed on a sustainable basis, and loss of wetlands, whether freshwater swamps or mangrove swamps, is a major problem in the ASEAN region. Reclamation of mangrove swamps for aquaculture and agriculture seems to be a continuous activity in this area, and the status of marine parks should also be examined in the light of recent resort development activities on small islands. This volume contains recommendations for the promotion of ecological studies and regional cooperation in marine, freshwater ecology and conservation, with special emphasis on the common water-masses like the Strait of Malacca, Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea.