South Asia Co-operative Environment Program Symposium

British High Commissioner Andrew Patrick

The South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP), in partnership with the UK’s Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP), funded as part of the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the South Asia Co-operative Environment Program (SACEP) Symposium 2024. 

Held from 18 to 22 November in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the symposium included in-person participation from five of the SACEP countries within the region. This significant event brought together marine pollution-response experts, Government officials, and regional stakeholders for the first time since 2015 to strengthen South Asia’s preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents. 

The symposium aimed to reinvigorate the SACEP marine pollution-response framework initiated in 2015 by evaluating national capacities, addressing barriers to progress, and identifying opportunities for mutual aid and regional coordination. This event benefited the region by identifying gaps in readiness and clarifying key responsibilities in emergency response to pollution events at a national level. With Sri Lanka as the host, participants discussed lessons learned from local past incidents and witnessed the deployment of specialist equipment in previously affected areas. Further discussions showcased best practices from around the world and identified training needs for each country to ensure a resilient and sustainable response network in the region. 

Symposium highlights: 

Day one (18 November): Participants reviewed the current state of the SACEP framework, with country-specific updates from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The day concluded with a roundtable exercise on lessons learned from national efforts. 

Day two (19 November): Focused on successful regional collaboration, with sessions on international conventions, case studies from the Bonn Agreement, and regional response exercises. 

Day three (20 November): A technical deep dive into marine pollution response covered topics such as dispersants, spill modelling, compensation, and waste management strategies. 

Day four (21 November): Featured a comprehensive review of the South Asia Regional Plan, with group exercises to address gaps and build a roadmap for better readiness. 

Day five (22 November): The symposium concluded with a practical deployment exercise led by MEPA and the Sri Lanka Coastguard, showcasing specialist emergency response equipment in-situ-situ within harbour and beach environments, followed by closing remarks. 

The symposium marked a crucial opportunity to update the SACEP regional plan, ensuring that South Asia remains well-prepared to face future marine pollution challenges. Organised jointly by SACEP and OCPP, this collaborative event laid the foundations for a more resilient and coordinated regional approach to marine pollution. 

South Asia Co-operative Environment Program said it welcomes the distinguish participants from the member countries of the South Asian Seas Program and our partners for the regional symposium. The symposium gives an opportunity for member countries to revisit the current regional chemical and oil spills contingency plan, identify the gaps and the areas needs to be updated with the present scenario. It will also provide necessary updated knowledge on containing marine pollution. The symposium is a joint effort of SACEP and our partner, Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) of UK Government.