Enhancing the Capability on Oil Spill Response and Restoration of Marine Ecosystem in the Western Pacific
Project Leader: Dr.Sik Huh, Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (KORDI), Republic of Korea
The accelerated growth of oil exploration, transportation and industrial activities among WESTPAC Member States in recent years has increased the risk of oil spill pollution in the region. As spilled oil spreads over the surface of water, the contaminants can be rapidly dispersed by active forces such as wind, tides and currents, and thus can have impact on regional scales. Delays in employing effective and well-planned response measures often result in escalating environmental and economic injury. Regular spill response training are essential to ensure that key staff are familiar with oil spill response and emergency planning, and capable of properly applying the monitoring and control technologies during real spill events.
To this end, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) decided, at its Seventh Session in Malaysia, 26-29 May 2008, to initiate regular training workshops on oil spill response. The objective of the workshops is to improve the regional capability on the oil spill response, through the provision of theoretical and practical knowledge of monitoring methods, identification methods, emergency responses, environment remediation to the selected participants among the Member States of IOC/WESTPAC.
In co-sponsorship with the Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), the first training workshop will be organized by the First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) of SOA, China, in Qingdao, 20-23 April, 2009. For more information about the workshop, please see the First Announcement and the Second Announcement.