Land-based sources of marine pollution and dumping at sea

It is now generally accepted that a rule of customary international law, as also reflected in Article 194(1) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provides an obligation for States to take, in accordance with their capabilities, ‘all measures (...) that are necessary to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source’. Indeed, the causes and anthropogenic factors giving rise to marine pollution are varied. However, its main sources can be broadly classified in two categories: land-based sources, which account for approximately 80 per cent of marine pollution, and dumping at sea, which accounts for a further 10 per cent. The present contribution aims to provide an overview of the international regulation, both global and regional, on these two sources of marine pollution.