The Malacca Straits have long been an important trade route linking the Ind
ian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. From the seventh to the
eleventh century, the Srivijaya empire controlled them, followed in the fi
fteenth century by the port kingdom of Malacca. Western maritime powers als
o recognized the strategic importance of the Straits, and in 1511, the Port
uguese captured Malacca. In 1641, the Dutch occupied what is now known as J
akarta, and from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, the Dutch East
India company controlled the trade in the Straits (Ross et al,, 1995). The
British also recognized the need to control the Straits to ensure the safe
passage of British merchant ships on their way to China, and in 1819 establ
ished a colony in Singapore. In 1824, the British and the Dutch ended their
rivalry with a treaty whereby Britain agreed to 'safeguard the Straits and
keep them open for other friendly nations' (Chia, 1998).
In recent years, the Straits have become a very important trade route. In 1
993 and 1995, over 100 000 oil and cargo vessels traversed it each year, ca
rrying 3.23 million barrels of crude oil through the Straits each day (Saku
ra Institute of Research, 1998), Shipping accidents have occurred more freq
uently, recently, which is attributed to heavy traffic in the Straits with
shallow, narrow channels and shoals, Despite these hazards, economic effici
ency dictates that vessels continue to use the Straits.
The Straits are also rich in renewable and non-renewable resources, includi
ng productive coastal ecosystems, extensive capture fisheries, aquaculture,
coastal tourism, mining and valuable natural gas reserves.
This chapter looks at the natural environmental conditions and the status o
f the coastal resources, the sustainability of existing activities, critica
l environmental problems and management. It is based on the Malacca Straits
Environmental Profile (Chua et al., 1997) and other studies undertaken by
the GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme for Marine Pollution Prevention and Man
agement in the East Asian Seas, referred to as the Regional Programme in th
is document. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.