OCEAN ACIDIFICATION : LEGAL CHALLENGE TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE MARINE ENVIRONMETN IN THAILAND.

Abstract

Ocean Acidification was affected by large scale absorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂) that entered to the ocean when CO₂ reacted with sea water affected to decrease pH and became more acidic. As a result of acidic, there were problems of growth, reproduction, or livelihood to marine organisms such as corals, shellfish, shrimp, mollusks or fish and marine mammals. If the acidity problem continued to expand long term, it might contribute to decrease the population of marine life and the food chain of the marine ecosystem.

An international measure to play the role in the problem solving of ocean acidification was United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS) because it establishes general principles relevant to the protection of the marine environment. According to the study, ocean acidity was considered polluting the marine environment. As a result, the state had the right and obligation of UNCLOS to solve the problem of ocean acidification. Article 192 and 194 specified general obligation that the state protected the marine environment from various pollution. Moreover, state should consider Article 207, 212 and 211 that were obligations for the management of sources of pollution management as land-based sources, atmosphere and vessel sources were related to release CO₂ that was causes of ocean acidification problem.

            At the present, Thai marine area is gradually declining. In order to solve problem, there was necessary to should consider the problem of ocean acidification in Thailand by following UNCLOS obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment from the occurrence of ocean acidification problem. Regarding Thailand had already become a member of UNCLOS, we were responsible for this obligation. Especially, there was considering the existing internal laws, it was found that Thailand's environmental policy measures have no attention to the ocean acidification management due to the environment problem is new. In addition to legal measures that may be applied to solve the problem of ocean acidification still the lack of compulsory users who concentrated to the acidity. However, Thailand's trends in the protection and conservation of the marine environment are being cited as a critical issue and need to be solved suddenly. In conclusion, management of ocean acidification problem is the legal challenge of Thailand protecting the marine environment.