South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) REGIONAL OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSES INCLUDING CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR South Asian Seas REGION Dr. Abas Basir Director General South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP)

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) Is an inter-governmental organization of 8 member states, Established in 1982 . Registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations as a Multilateral Organization in accordance with the Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations. Its mission is to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in South Asia Member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

SACEP and South Asian Seas Programme (SASP) SACEP also acts as the secretariat for the South Asia Seas Programme (SASP). It was initiated, with the support from UNEP, in 1995. The overall objective of the SASP is to protect and manage the marine environment and related coastal ecosystems of the region in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. Its Member countries are: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

SASP Priority area of Works The SASP Action Plan has identified the following as its priority area of works: Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM); oil‐spill contingency planning; human resource development; and the environmental effects of land‐based activities.

Potential Partners IMO UNEP-GPA International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) FAO Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem USDA Private Sector/Shipping Associations Other regional and sub-regional agencies

Resources of Marine Oil Spill Maritime oil spill risks arise from non-tanker shipping carriage of refined products offshore exploration and production operations Transfer of oil cargoes at sea Routine shipping operations at ports – bunkering Ship recycling illegal discharges from the large volume of shipping within the region Response to a major spill at sea would require the co-operation of the other States in the Region

Major Oil and Chemical spills Incidences Source: ITOPF, 2003 Other spills recorded M V Meliksha Incident – Sri Lanka - 1999 The ship was reported to be carrying 16 500mt fertilizer and about 200 mt of heavy fuel oil. Marina Sedna – Sri Lanka 2007 - 176mt of fuel oil was contained the ship. M/T Granba Chemical tanker Accident – Sri Lanka -2009 - Carried 6250 mt of sulfuric acid MSC Chitra – India – 2010 – heavy oil and diesel

Bangladesh –27th September 2010 Framework for Regional Responses to the OIL Spill Risks Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Co-operation on the Response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the SAS Region and The Regional Oil and Chemical Pollution Contingency Plan for South Asia The MoU and Regional Plan require member countries to co-operate in responding to major marine pollution incidents occurring in their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), territorial seas and internal waters which are affected or likely to affect the marine environment, the coast or related interests of one or more of the Parties. All member countries have signed the MoU. Maldives – 13th October 2009 Pakistan – 22nd July 2010 Bangladesh –27th September 2010 Sri Lanka- 17th December 2014 India – 8th May 2018

Cooperation mechanism Under the MoU and the Regional Plan Contingency Planning Reporting Marine Pollution Incidents Assistance and Co-peration in Cases of Emergency Exchange of information

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