Sewage discharges to destruction of coastal habitats top global concerns for oceans and seas

Citation

(2007), "Sewage discharges to destruction of coastal habitats top global concerns for oceans and seas", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 18 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq.2007.08318bab.001

Sewage discharges to destruction of coastal habitats top global concerns for oceans and seas

A rising tide of sewage is threatening the health and wealth of far too many of the world’s seas and oceans, a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says.

In many developing countries between 80 per cent and nearly 90 per cent of sewage entering the coastal zones is estimated to be raw and untreated.

The pollution – linked with rising coastal populations, inadequate treatment infrastructure and waste handling facilities – is putting at risk human health and wildlife and livelihoods from fisheries to tourism. There is rising concern too over the increasing damage and destruction of essential and economically important coastal ecosystems like, mangrove forests, coral reefs and seagrass beds.

The problems contrast sharply with oil pollution. Globally, levels of oily wastes discharged from industry and cities has, since the mid 1980s been cut by close to 90 per cent. Other successes are being scored in cutting marine contamination from toxic persistent organic pollutants like DDT and discharges of radioactive wastes.