Regional Workshop on port data exchange system and dissemination of MARENDA platform to WCA ports – RMU, Accra (Ghana)

The Regional Workshop on port data exchange system and dissemination of MARENDA platform to WCA ports carried out in Accra (Ghana) on 8 -10 March 2017 was the final event carried out by MARENDA Project in the scope of its objective 1: “Harmonised port data exchange mechanism”. It was organized with the valuable collaboration of the Regional Maritime University (R.M.U.).

 

The objectives of the training were the following:

– To facilitate the understanding of the functionalities of the MARENDA Maritime Data Exchange platform system that has been installed in the five pilot ports (Dakar, Abidjan, Tema, Lagos and Douala),

– To review and discuss technical, organizational and financial implications related to this platform implementation and define a strategy and roadmap for the further dissemination of the system at regional level.

The workshop gathered authorities from different Organizations: Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Port Autonome de Douala (PAD), Port Autonome d’Abidjan (PAA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) , Port autonome de Dakar (PAD) Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) and RMU lecturers.

The event was the last of a series of events (Training on the Job, Courses, Workshop, etc.) organized in the framework of the MARENDA project.


Workshop on Bilateral Cooperation in Oil Spill Response – ARSTM, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

The Workshop on Bilateral Cooperation in Oil Spill Response took place on 23-24 February 2017 at the ARSTM premises (Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire).

The aim of the workshop was to provide information, knowledge and tools to facilitate cooperation between neighbor countries in WCA region in case of an oil spill. To this end, successful examples of regional agreements at the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea were shown, and the key elements of a bilateral agreement were presented and further discussed through working groups made by delegates from neighbor countries.

In addition, the GIS database tool that has been developed to compile and manage the information on available response equipment and resources in the priority countries of the project was presented. After the Workshop, focal points designated in each country will be given access to the database, for future usage.

Delegates from seven WCA countries participated in this workshop: NIMASA  and NOSDRA (Nigeria), PAD (Cameroun), Direction de la Marine Marchande (Benin), Direction de l’Environment (Togo), CIAPOL and Direction Générale des Affaires Maritimes et Portuaires (Côte d’Ivoire), EPA and GMA (Ghana), Gambia Ports Authority (Gambia) and HASSMAR (Sénégal).


Regional Training of Trainer Course – ARSTM, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

The regional Training of Trainers Course carried out in Abidjan between the 20 -22 of February 2017 were the final events of the project’s Capacity Building Programme, related to the MARENDA objective 2: improving emergency response mechanisms against maritime pollution. They were organized with the valuable collaboration of the Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer (A.R.S.T.M.) as follows:

This training was given during 3 days, 20-22 February. It summarized the Trainings on the Job activities and associated contents that MARENDA delivered in the five priority countries (Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon). The two main objectives were:

  • To provide a summary of previous Trainings on the Job delivered by the MARENDA project on contingency planning and oil spill response in the five priority countries (Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon).
  • To provide a training on pedagogy and principles of adult learning. After the course, participants will be given access to the training platform and associated material generated during the implementation of the MARENDA project, for future usage.

The training gathered participants from different Organizations of the five above-mentioned countries: NOSDRA and NIMASA (Nigeria), PAD (Cameroun), HASSMAR (Sénégal), EPA and GMA (Ghana) and CIAPOL and Direction Générale de Affaires Maritimes et Portuaires (Côte d’Ivoire).

 


Regional training course on hardware and software of the MARENDA data exchange system – Dakar (Sénégal)

A regional training course was organized at Dakar port from January 31st to February 2nd 2017 to improve the capabilities of the port staff to operate, manage and carry out troubleshooting and corrective actions regarding the hardware and software of the data exchange system  in their regional nodes The course included the following topics:

  • Technical architecture and configuration of the different equipment of the platform.
  • Interconnection and setup of different equipment in windows OS environment.
  • Installation and configuration of AIS software on Windows.
  • Troubleshooting and restart of the Regional Node in case of breakdown in particular default of connection with the central Node (hardware and software failure.

The course was attended by staff from the IT and Operations Departments from the five pilot ports.


Training on the Job on prevention and emergency response in case of marine oil pollution – Limbe (Cameroon)

The MARENDA project delivered its fourth Training on the Job Activity in partnership with the Port Authority of Doula. The training was developed and implemented from 16 to 25 January 2017 at the Port of Douala premises in Limbe.

The objectives of the training were the following:

– Enhance knowledge on selected aspects of oil spill response and contingency planning among key organisations involved in preparedness and response to oil spills.

– Test and improve communication and coordination between relevant stakeholders involved in contingency planning in Côte d’Ivoire.

In order to achieve these objectives the training was organized in two different parts. On the one hand, a thematic part (16 – 20 January) was focused on the following subjects:

– Sources and causes of oil spills.

– Different types of oil products.

– Behavior and evolution of hydrocarbons spilled at sea.

– Strategies to combat marine oil pollution.

– Evolution of a pollution – at sea and on land.

– Methodological Approach to Solving a Crisis.

– Third party response and Area Responsibility concepts.

-Policy and use of dispersants.

– Types of barriers and skimmers.

– Containment, recovery and storage at sea and in port

– Safety of personnel at sea.

– Protection of sensitive sites.

– Types of cleaning depending on the type of environment

On the other hand, a Table top Exercise (23 – 25 January) was carried out with the aim to test communication and coordination between different emergency plans against marine pollution by hydrocarbons (national, port, oil industry, etc.).

The training gathered approx. 20 participants from different Organizations of Cameroon and companies involved in maritime pollution and protection of the marine environment Port Authority of Douala (PAD), National Refinery Corporation (SONARA), Port Authority of Kribi (PAK), Ministry of Transport (MINT), Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and National Hydrocarbons Corporation.

The event was the last of a series of similar trainings; a first seminar was carried out in Dakar (Senegal) at the Trainmar Centre from 11-20 January 2016, a second seminar held on in Accra (Ghana) EPA’s facilities from 15-24 February 2016, a third was developed from 19-28 September 2016 at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (Kirikiri) a fourth seminar took place in Ivory Coast from 28 September to 7 October 2016 at the CIAPOL headquarters in Abidjan.


Training on the Job on prevention and emergency response in case of marine oil pollution – Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

The MARENDA project delivered its fourth Training on the Job Activity in partnership with the Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL). The training was developed and implemented from 28 September to 7 October 2016 at the CIAPOL headquarters in Abidjan.

 

The objectives of the training were the following:

– Enhance knowledge on selected aspects of oil spill response and contingency planning among key organisations involved in preparedness and response to oil spills.

– Test and improve communication and coordination between relevant stakeholders involved in contingency planning in Côte d’Ivoire.

In order to achieve these objectives the training was organized in two different parts. On the one hand a thematic part (28 September-4 October) was focused on the following subjects:

Coordination of operations against marine pollution by hydrocarbons at sea,

Coordination of operations against marine pollution by hydrocarbons on lagoons,

Coordination of operations against marine pollution by hydrocarbons on the coastal areas,

Modeling and monitoring of offshore oil slicks drifting

Dispersant use techniques,

Training/capacity building programs in the field of fighting against marine pollution by hydrocarbons between the state, its agencies, and oil companies.

On the other hand, a Table top Exercise (5 to 7 October) was carried out with the aim to test communication and coordination between different between the national emergency plan against marine pollution by hydrocarbons (POLLUMAR) and sectoral emergency plans at different levels (national, port, oil industry).

The training gathered approx. 35 participants from different Organizations of Côte de Ivoire and companies involved in maritime pollution and protection of the marine environment (Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL), Ministère Auprès du Président de la République Chargé de la Défense (Marine Nationales), Ministère Auprès do Président de la République Chargé de la Défense (Marine Nationales), Ministère du Pétrole et de l’Energie (DGH), Groupement des Sapeurs-Pompiers Militaires (GSPM), Direction Générale de Affaires Maritimes et Portuaires (DGAMP), Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer (ARSTM), Direction Générale de la Santé, Port Autonome d’Abidjan (PAA), Bureau National d’Etudes Techniques et de Developpement (BNETD), SODEXAM, FOXTROT INTERNATIONAL, EXXON MOBIL, Canadian Natural Ressources International (CNRI), Office National de la Protection Civile (ONPC), Institut National d’Hygiène Publique (INHP), Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d’Application en Télédétection (CURAT), Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage (SIR) and Société Nationale d’Opérations Pétrolières de Côte d’Ivoire (PETROCI)).

The event was the fourth of a series of similar trainings; a first seminar was carried out in Dakar (Senegal) at the Trainmar Centre from 11-20 January,  a second seminar held on in Accra (Ghana) EPA’s facilities from 15-24 February and a third was developed from 19-28 September at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (Kirikiri). A Fifth training sessions will be implemented in the coming months in Cameroon.


Training on the Job on oil spill response and preparedness – Lagos (Nigeria)

The MARENDA project delivered its third Training on the Job Activity in partnership with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).

The training was developed and implemented from 19-28 September 2016 at the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (Kirikiri).

The objectives of the training were the following:

– Improve knowledge on specific areas of oil spill response.

– Test and improve communication and coordination between relevant stakeholders involved in contingency planning in Nigeria.

In order to achieve these objectives the training was organized in two different parts. On the one hand a thematic part (19-13 October) that was focused on the following subjects:

Characteristics and fate of oil and HNS,

Wind and currents effects,

Clean-up options in various terrains, on water, shore line and beaches,

Command and control structure,

Equipment handling – deployment and maintenance,

Communication and media handling,

Dispersant use techniques,

Waste management,

On the other hand, a Tabletop Exercise (26 to 28 September) was carried out with the aim to test communication and coordination between different actors in an oil spill situation

The training gathered approx. 50 participants from NIMASA, NOSDRA and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The event was the third of a series of similar trainings; a first training on the job seminar was carried out in Dakar (Senegal) at the Trainmar Centre from 11-20 January and a second seminar held on in Accra (Ghana) EPA’s facilities from 15-24 February. Further training sessions will be implemented during 2016 within the remaining projects’ priority countries i.e. Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon.


Training on the Job on oil spill response and contingency planning – Accra (Ghana)

The MARENDA project delivered its second Training on the Job Activity in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the leading public body for protecting and improving the environment in Ghana. The training was developed and implemented on 15-24 February 2016 at EPA’s facilities in Accra.

The two main objectives of this training were the following:

  • Enhance knowledge on selected aspects of oil spill response and contingency planning among key organisations involved in preparedness and response to oil spills.
  • Test and improve communication between different oil contingency plans in the country i.e. national, local and industry.

To accomplish these two objective the training was organized in two different parts. On the one hand a “thematic part” (15-19 February) where focus was put on different themes within the field of oil spill preparedness and response. On the other hand, a table-top exercise (22-24 February) was carried out focused on contingency planning by joint partnership working between government, local authorities, shipping industry and commercial oil producers.

The training gathered approx. 35 participants from different Ghanaian Organizations and companies (EPA, Tema Port, Takoradi Port, Ghana Maritime Administration, Regional Maritime University, Ghana Navy, The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ministry of Petroleum, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, ENI_Ghana and Starr fm) involved in maritime pollution and protection of the marine environment.

The session was the second of a series of similar trainings; a first seminar was carried out in Dakar (Senegal) at the Trainmar Centre from 11-20 January.  Further training sessions will be carried out within the remaining projects’ priority countries i.e. Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon.


Training on the Job on prevention and emergency response in case of marine oil pollution – Dakar (Sénégal)

The MARENDA project delivered its first training on the Job activity course on 11-20 January 2016 at the Trainmar centre in Dakar, Senegal. The training was developed and implemented in cooperation with the Haute Autorité Chargéé de la Coordination de la Sécurité Maritime et de la Protection de l’Environment Marine (HASSMAR).

The aim of the training was to provide deeper understanding of selected topics within the field of oil spill response and contingency planning. A second objective was to improve capabilities to respond to oil spills in a coordinated manner as well as test and improve communication between different levels of contingency planning.

The training consisted of two parts; one thematic part where focus was put on different themes within the field of oil spill preparedness and response such as clean-up methods, usage of response equipment, strategies to respond to an oil spill and environmental impact of an oil spill. The second part was a table-top exercise where an oil spill was simulated and participants were allowed to test and discuss communication between their organisations in case of such event as well as to make use of their contingency plans.

The training gathered approx. 20 participants from different Senegalese authorities involved in maritime pollution and protection of the marine environment.

The training was the first of a series of similar trainings that will be carried out within the projects’ priority countries i.e. Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.


Workshop on Emergency Response and Contingency Planning – Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Date: 7-8 July, 2015

Venue: Regional Academy of Maritime Science and Technology – Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

According to the willingness of MARENDA to establish collaboration links with existing universities and academies in West and Central Africa, the workshop was organized in close cooperation with ” Académie Régionale des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer ” (ARSTM) in Abidjan, 7 – 8 July 2015.

Objectives of the workshop

  • Analyse current situation of emergency response and contingency planning in the pilot countries and advance on improving collaboration at national and regional level.
  • Present successful examples of regional collaboration agreements on emergency response and explore possibilities for bi/multilateral agreements on oil spill response and preparedness in the project pilot countries.
  • Familiarize participants with MARENDAGIS tool which serves to manage information on oil spill response equipment.
  • Familiarize participants with the capacity building programme (CBP) of MARENDA focused on improving emergency response mechanisms.
  • Work out contents of specific programme for the training on the job (ToJ) included in the Capacity Building Programme (CBP)

Conclusions of the workshop

The Workshop provided an excellent meeting point for key organizations of the five priority countries to exchange information about the situation regarding contingency plans and emergency response.

The key components of MARENDA action plans related to the capacity building programme and technical assistance were reviewed by the country delegations and an agreed list of specific issues to be covered was drawn. Focal points were identified as well as tentative venues for training activities. The importance of building up a GIS database of resources for emergency response is shared by all the participants.

The need of establishing bilateral or multilateral agreements for a more efficient response against maritime pollution is shared by the participants, Examples of successful bilateral agreements were presented and discussed. A road map for providing technical assistance to the priority countries on setting up bi or multilateral agreements was presented and agreed.

 


Workshop on Harmonized Port data exchange platform in WCA – Tema (Ghana)

Date: 23 – 24 March, 2015

Venue:  Regional Maritime University – Tema (Ghana)

The Workshop on Harmonized Port Data Exchange Platform in WCA was organized with the valuable collaboration of the Regional Maritime University of Accra. Framed in the Capacity Building Programme of MARENDA, it took the assessment work one step further and invited responsible officers from port authorities of Tema, Douala, Lagos Port Complex, Abidjan and Dakar (IT and ship operation experts) to a common meeting in order to discuss how to exchange data in a harmonised way and also to present current international guidelines on port data exchange mechanism (IALA, ITU, IEC and IMO). Maritime and environmental regional organisations were also invited to contribute to this workshop; PMAWCA-AGPAOC, ABC Secretariat-UNEP, IMO (West & Central Africa) and Abuja MoU.

Key outcomes of the Workshop were a consensus document establishing a first approach to the information to be exchanged among WCA ports (Annex I) and a roadmap for the implementation of the regional maritime data exchange system. The involvement of PMAWCA was crucial for the success of the Workshop and will be crucial to have regional impact.