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OCPP Emergency Response

Welcome to the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) Emergency Response Hub. This portal provides information and resources delivered through the OCPP in response to supporting partner countries to take action to effectively and sustainably manage and protect their marine environment.

Background

Whilst the number of shipping-related pollution incidents (i.e. collisions, explosions, groundings and spills) has gradually decreased over recent decades, the risk of occurrence has increased due to the rapid expansion of international trade. Spills can include pollutants such as hydrocarbons, plastics, and hazardous and noxious substances. Recent high-profile events such as the MV Wakashio, which grounded on the outer reef of Mauritius, spilling approximately 1,000 tons of low sulphur fuel oil into the surrounding marine environment, and the X-press Pearl, which caught fire and spilled oil and plastic pellets (nurdles) along the west coast of Sri Lanka, demonstrate first-hand the devastating impacts of such incidents.

Image of wrecked shipping vessel

The OCPP works with partners to ensure policies and practices are effectively implemented with strengthened preparedness to respond to emergencies. We aim to support sustainable marine management of anthropogenic activities by supporting the integration of nature into decision-making, improving policies and regulations and strengthening preparedness and response to marine pollution emergency incidents. The OCPP will strengthen national capability and capacity to respond to and prepare for marine environmental pollution environmental emergencies from large spills.

The OCPP is dedicated to fostering effective marine governance and resilience among our partner countries.

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OCPP and Emergency Response Theme Summary

Under the emergency response theme, the OCPP collaborates with partners to work towards the following objective:


OCPP Emergency Response work objective: That countries are equipped with the relevant tools, equipment, facilities and knowledge to be better prepared to respond to an emergency spill incident through the exchange of science and policy knowledge, collaboration and communication, protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the livelihoods of communities.


Threats and issues related to emergency pollution events have been raised for multiple OCPP countries and stakeholders, and we are actively scoping and delivering work in East Africa (Mozambique and Madagascar), West Africa (Ghana and Senegal), South Asia (Sri Lanka and Maldives) and the Pacific (Solomon Islands and Vanuatu). See below for a map of the countries, grouped into regions, that are currently supported by the OCPP under the emergency response theme. As the OCPP progresses, this work will focus on an enhanced regional approach, aiming to provide collaborative capacity building, cross-border exercises and knowledge sharing opportunities across regions to expand from the current country-level support. This new focus will support in creating relationships and partnerships between countries and in enhancing preparedness and response capability, for more effective working across borders and mutual aid support in the event of a large spill. Often, countries do not have sufficient resources (trained personnel, equipment and facilities) to deal with significant pollution incidents, therefore, regional join up and partnerships are essential to increase capacity and enhance response efforts for these nations.

By understanding and managing risks and impacts of acute marine pollution incidents, we can better protect the natural environment and its goods and services and encourage healthy marine environments that offer the opportunity for the diversification of livelihoods and strengthen local, community based economic growth. We look to utilise in country suppliers for training, equipment, and design and publication of reports, documents and educations packs. We work to include a variety of local stakeholders including those in academia and early career scientists to ensure work is relevant to the target audience.

Map of worldwide JNCC work areas

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Emergency Response Support Areas

The emergency response theme consists of a toolbox of options. This includes knowledge sharing, capacity building, best practice and collaboration in a range of technical disciplines related to marine pollution emergency response. We focus on both reducing the potential for maritime incidents occurring and dealing effectively with the effects of the spill and subsequent cleanup operations. We will always prioritise the health and safety of people first and foremost. The theme is demand-led and provides a platform to collaboratively work with in-country stakeholders to provide technical support where requirements are assessed and prioritised with in-country stakeholders.

The OCPP can support countries in several key areas under the emergency response theme, including Preparedness & Risk, Impact Assessment, Post-spill Monitoring, and providing Recommendations & Beyond.

Preparedness & Risk:

  • Specialised contracts (e.g. equipment audits, waste management, capability review)
  • Tailored training (e.g. tiered preparedness and response options)
  • Risk assessment and planning

Impact Assessment:

  • Marine Protected Area, management, impact assessment and monitoring
  • Data records, evidence, indicators and assessments of offshore marine species
  • Training on and development of environmental sensitivity indices
  • Remote Sensing options (e.g. Satellite imagery and remote piloted aircraft)
  • Environmental Impact Assessment of sensitive ecological and socio-economic resources

Post-spill Monitoring:

  • Survey design, methods, and effective clean up
  • Fieldwork and sampling
  • Post-spill monitoring and impact assessment on mobile species
  • Chemical analysis and fingerprinting
  • Fate and transport modelling, including application
  • Ecotoxicology

Recommendations & Beyond:

  • Review of pollution contingency plans (focus on environment)
  • Environmental restoration and compensation
  • Links with other organisations to support (e.g. oiled wildlife)
  • Exercises to practice training outcomes and identify gaps in response capability

Flowchart of risks, impacts, monitoring and recommendations

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OCPP Case studies


 

Sri Lanka Workshop

Photograph showing participants standing around a table at an Emergency Response Preparedness Workshop, held in Sri Lanka.

In November 2023, a four-day workshop in Sri Lanka aimed to enhance collaboration and communication between Sri Lanka and the UK, strengthening the country's capabilities for responding to marine pollution emergencies.

The workshop brought together key stakeholders to emphasize the importance of quality science and data, featuring sessions on risk assessment, oiled wildlife response, oil spill modelling, and a simulated multi-stakeholder exercise.

Additionally, the OCPP partnered with the Government of Sri Lanka and SANCCOB to develop an Oiled Wildlife Response Contingency Plan, integrated with the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, and to provide training to build technical expertise and capacity in oiled wildlife response.

The OCPP facilitated in depth emergency response capacity building training with the Government of Sri Lanka and other relevant organisations involved in pollution response. The two-week training course included six courses aimed at upskilling personnel with different roles within pollution response, knowledge provision on shoreline clean-up techniques and aerial surveillance to aid the monitoring of hydrocarbon contamination and planning clean-up operations following a spill. This training programme demonstrated clear use of the toolbox of options through knowledge sharing, capacity building and sharing best practice.

Working with UK Maritime Coastguard Agency

The OCPP emergency response theme also works with the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (UK MCA) who is the lead UK agency for pollution response at-sea. They support work areas connected with reviewing existing capacity and capability associated with legislative positions​, plans, policies and procedures​, high-risk areas and advice on external arrangements. They also support with training and exercising.

Upcoming Activities

OCPP is partnering with the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) to host a multi-day regional symposium to re-invigorate the SACEP programme and make necessary updates to ensure the effectiveness of its South Asian Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan. The symposium will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, (home to the SACEP headquarters) from 18 November through to 22 November 2024 and will see key stakeholders from SACEP member countries (Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) brought together to:

  • Reinvigorate the SACEP marine pollution-response framework, taking stock of existing country capacities, work already undertaken to date and identifying barriers to progress;   
  • Provide a chance at national level to discuss gaps in readiness, opportunities for mutual aid and better regional collaboration;   
  • Discuss lessons learned from incidents, showcase best practice from around the world, identify training needs, develop a regional exercise programme and discuss next steps to ensure longevity of the partnership in the future;   
  • Lay the foundations to update the SACEP regional plan.

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Ocean Country Partnership Programme

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