IMRF Assesses Climate Change Impact on Maritime SAR Operations

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) released its #FutureSAR Report as part of the organization's ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the impacts and effects of climate change on global maritime search and rescue (SAR) operations.

The report marks the completion of the first phase of the IMRF #FutureSAR initiative, which is funded and supported by Lloyd’s Register Foundation. The initiative's purpose is to identify challenges related to climate change for the global maritime SAR industry and provide guidance and best practices for future rescue operations, focusing on adaptation.

The #FutureSAR Report covers the most significant expected impacts of climate change on maritime SAR, considering each scenario's speculative nature and different likelihoods. Subsequent phases of the initiative will tackle uncertainties and propose more solutions.

Caroline Jupe, CEO of the IMRF, said: “The report has spurred discussions on the possibility of implementing global collaborative efforts, which could greatly improve the sharing of information and best practices related to climate change within the maritime SAR community. One proposed solution is establishing an international database to collect and distribute data gathered by SAR organizations worldwide to improve situational awareness of climate change-related risks.”

The guidelines presented in the IMRF’s #FutureSAR Report show that the need for robust international and national planning, trained collaboration, and commitment to common aims and procedures is more critical than ever if the maritime SAR community is to successfully adapt to the future challenges of climate change.