Environmental governance of the great seas - Joseph F DiMento

The great seas contain immense resources and provide invaluable services to humankind, yet their environmental conditions are threatened worldwide. The authors of this comprehensive study provide a rich assessment of the seas and the efficacy of the initiatives governing them, as well as suggestions for improving governance and protection. Case studies of the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black, Caribbean and East Asian seas illustrate the varying degrees of policy success, failure and promise.The authors address the specific roles of the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Regional Seas Programme and discuss the importance of better information exchange between scientists and policymakers, increased funding, greater participation, and new and more effective laws. National, regional and international initiatives are conceptualized as clusters, and their success evaluated using data on the physical conditions of the seas, the law and policy adopted, and international cooperation.The interdisciplinary, insightful treatment of this complex issue will be of great interest to policymakers, students and scholars in the fields of law and policy as well as marine and environmental sciences.

Joseph F.C. DiMento, Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine and Director, Newkirk Center for Science and Society, US and Alexis Jaclyn Hickman, Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Doctoral Candidate in Planning, Policy and Design, University of California, Irvine, US

'This book is informative and educational. It provides a representative sample of governance systems ranging from highly organised, functioning and well-resourced systems to underfunded systems in which implementation and the political will to do so remain fundamental challenges. The case studies chosen by the authors also display a range of environmental challenges, insofar as this is possible as several of those challenges, such as land-based pollution are evident in all regions of the globe. The inclusion of interviews with representatives of various of the institutions involved in governance of the regional seas and other experts adds depth, colour and pragmatism to the authors' assessments. Viewed holistically, the book should be of interest to all those wishing to build a more in-depth and comparative knowledge of regional seas governance and those wishing to explore the ways in which we might improve governance of the oceans.'
Micha Young, IUCNAEL EJournal

'Environmental Governance of the Great Seas: Law and Effect provides a considerable volume of valuable data and analysis on the capacity of regional structures to deliver tangible regulatory benefits to the marine environment generally, and on the operational challenges facing particular regional frameworks specifically. It is an insightful, accessible and revealing work, shedding considerable light on the merits and pitfalls of regional frameworks and the ability of institutions to interact effectively. Finally, it is a work that will be of great interest and assistance to those engaged with the challenging issues of institutional performance, treaty congestion and the role and value of ever-increasing regionalism in the pursuit of effective environmental standards.'
Richard Caddell, The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law