The overall objective of the SASAP is to protect and manage the marine environment and related coastal ecosystems of the region in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. The objectives are to

Establish and enhance consultations and technical co-operation among states within the region
Highlight the economic and social importance of the resources of the marine and coastal environment
Establish a regional co-operative network of activities concerning subjects/projects of mutual interest for the whole region.

The South Asian Seas Region can be categorised into two distinct geographical groups. While Maldives and Sri Lanka are island nations, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are situated on the Asian mainland. The region has some of the largest and biologically rich marine ecosystems like Gulf of Mannar, Atolls of Maldives and Mangroves of Sundarbans. Presence of perennial rivers like Brahmaputra, Ganges, Godavari, Indus, Kelani, Magna, etc. have contributed to large network of backwaters, estuaries, salt marshes and mangroves. It is also the habitat for endangered marine turtles like green and olive ridley turtles. Some of the largest coastal lagoons of the world like Chilka Lake in India and Puttalam lagoon in Sri Lanka are located in the South Asian Seas region. The region has one of the world's finest coral ecosystems with the atolls constituting the entire country of Maldives. The Lakshadweep and Nicobar group of islands of India and a few regions of Sri Lanka have fringing reefs.

The coastal areas of this region are characterized by the location of some of the largest population concentrations in the world (Karachi, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Dhaka). The entire population of the Maldives can be considered as coastal, while in Sri Lanka more than 32% of population is found in the coastal belt. The following table highlights distribution of the costal population within each of the member states of SACEP.