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.