Countries in the Red Sea region are taking action to improve their preparedness and response systems for major marine pollution incidents involving oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills.
A subregional workshop held in Hurghada, Egypt, earlier this month, brought together 18 officials from Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen to build technical skills, enhance coordination mechanisms, and reinforce contingency planning for such spills.
As one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, the Red Sea area continues to face maritime security risks related to wider geopolitical tensions, which have led to some maritime incidents, according to the International Maritime Organization, which facilitated the discussions.
The focus was on equipping officials and responders with the skills and knowledge needed to manage and mitigate major marine pollution incidents, while emphasising the importance of collaboration, communication and a coordinated regional approach among states, UN bodies and international partners.
Experts led in-depth sessions on oil spill prevention, emergency response strategy and inter-agency coordination. Table-top exercises reviewed real-life case studies involving the Rubymar, Sounion and Bauhinia, which all happened in the Red Sea.
“These cases illustrated the complex challenges posed by ship-related pollution incidents in a geopolitically tense environment,” said the IMO.
The workshop is expected to improve inter-agency coordination, advance robust regional contingency plans for oil and HNS spills, and enhance overall preparedness and response capabilities for countries bordering the Red Sea.
