Individuals with expertise in the maritime Arctic and future potential exploitation are cordially invited to participate in a roundtable discussion to discuss the risks to, and the resilience of, the Arctic with regards to increased transport and offshore activities. The roundtable will take place Tuesday, September 8th 2015 at IMarEST HQ, Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate High Street, London.
Context
Global warming is particularly evident in the Arctic and the steady reduction of the Arctic sea ice has been well documented, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting that Arctic sea ice extent has decreased by 2.9% per decade over the 1978-1996 period; sea ice has thinned, and there are now more melt days per summer. There is broad consensus that this warming trend will continue and that the Arctic may eventually become ice-free during the summer. Aside from the environmental effects of such a warming, another consequence is the increased possibility of the opening up of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) for high-volume commercial traffic, a likelihood of increased offshore activity and a higher volume of tourist activities. Any increase in commercial activity is likely to bring with it associated risks to both the environment, to assets and to people.
Aims
This roundtable will investigate the primary risks and aim to answer a few key questions:
What are the major risks to assets, to the environment and to people?
How can those risks be assessed, and prevented?
How can the risks be contained, managed and mitigated?
Is the policy and regulatory approach fit for purpose?
What other incentives could be used in order to make the overall process more effective?
Once a system of prevention and response/ mitigation measures have been established, what would be the best approach to monitor progresses of increased safety and environmental protection?
In addition, the roundtable will look at which risks are well understood and which require research or action, as well as investigating what the worst case scenarios are how they can be prevented.
A written report from the meeting will be produced and made available to all with an interest in this topic.
Who should attend
The roundtable aims to engage multiple stakeholders with expertise sought that covers topics such as (but not limited to):
Prevention and response to Oil spills and Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS)
The use of MARPOL Special Areas and IMO Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs)
Environmental protection
Marine and Climate science
Design and construction of ships and offshore assets
Ship and offshore equipment including lifeboats and Personal Protective Equipment
Navigation and communications
Operations and human element
Training
Search and Rescue
International regulation and policy measures
Liability and compensation
Shipping economics
A report of the roundtable will be published and, although it is intended that participants will be listed, no comments will be directly attributed to individuals participating.
Deadline: 15 August 2015
Experts wishing to attend the event should send their request here by no later than 15th August 2015. Please advise us of your specific area of expertise in the request.
Source: http://www.imarest.org/