BUILDING PREPAREDNESS IN ASIA: A PARTNERSHIP APPROACH

Abstract

ABSTRACT The International Maritime Organization'S (IMO) “International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990” (OPRC 90) has been in force for more than 12 years now. IMO has been instrumental in setting up and providing both technical support and funding for various regional arrangements that provide the platform to achieve the objectives laid out by the Convention, both at the regional and national level. These efforts were sometimes carried out through the IMO/International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) Global Initiative (GI) Programme with strong support from national government and industry. Generally across Asia, national governments have to take preparedness to the provincial government level where the operational issues and challenges lie, often beyond the remit of existing technical support and funding from external organisations. The task of developing an integrated preparedness and response solution often involves inter-agency cooperation both at the national and local government level that may have competing priorities that outstrips available resources. A possible solution to this is through “Partnerships” among stakeholders, as the new paradigm that seeks to involve relevant stakeholders at the local provincial level where most of the practical challenges are. In East Asia Seas region, PEMSEA NETWORK OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE COASTAL DEVELOPMENT (PNLG) formed on 13 December 2006 recognises that oil spill preparedness and response is an integral part of the sustainable coastal development. This provides a platform for such “Partnerships” that integrate the different elements of preparedness between local government and industry at the provincial level. Oil Spill Response and East Asia Response Ltd (OSRL/EARL) is a ‘not for profit’ Tier 3 response organisation with a regional base in Singapore for the Asia Pacific Region. Recognising the importance and issues surrounding oil spill preparedness and response we had been proactively involved in the region for the past six years through our advocacy activities that seek to address these challenges with the support of the oil industry. OSRL/EARL on 16 December 2006 joined the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council as a member to provide the technical support and operational expertise to enhance oil spill preparedness in high risk areas in the region.