Oil spills at sea do not respect boundaries. How to cooperate and tackle a potential spill with dispersants in a transboundary setting was the focus of an in-person subregional workshop held in Johannesburg, South Africa (31 October-2 November).
Officials from Angola, Namibia and South Africa were updated on how to develop and implement policies on the use of dispersants. The workshop brought government personnel involved in oil pollution response and industry representatives together to foster discussions, and, ultimately, cooperation, between Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Participants shared lessons learned and challenges in assessing national needs and priorities on the use of dispersants. Discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation between Angola, Namibia and South Africa to effectively respond to a pollution incident; how to support in-country efforts; and the development of regional strategies/policies on dispersant usage.
The workshop was delivered under the framework of the GI WACAF Project, which supports countries in the region to develop oil spill response plans. The event was delivered through IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ICTP), in collaboration with South Africa, through its Department of Transport. Through GI WACAF, dispersant policies will be discussed as an important topic during the 10th Regional GI WACAF Conference, to be held in 2024.
