Africa's Preparedness in Oil Spill

Increased maritime traffic as well as offshore oil and gas industries in west and central Africa means more risks of oil spill in the region, pointed out International Maritime Organization (IMO).

To strengthen the capability for preparedness and response of a potential oil spill, a workshop underwent in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (18-21 March).

The event aimed to help participants with to ratify and effectively implement IMO conventions relating to oil pollution and liability and compensation, said the UN Body.

Participants were trained on how to best transpose IMO treaties into domestic laws. The workshop also looked at the technical context by which these conventions operate and the challenges they aim to address.

The workshop improved the capacity of these countries to protect their marine and coastal resources at risk from an oil pollution incident.

The workshop was organized by the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF). The GI WACAF Project is jointly funded by the IMO and 7 oil companies.