Project description

Title: Environmental and Safety Management in South American Ports
Commissioned by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
Country: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina
Lead executing agency: Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Oriental del Uruguay
Overall term: July 2004 to June 2006

Context

Each year, more than six million tonnes of waste and more than 600,000 tonnes of oil are dumped into the world’s oceans –  eight times as much as the oil released when the tanker Prestige sank in 2002. Ships’ wastes and the improper transfer of dangerous goods in harbours endanger the biological diversity and natural resources of sensitive coastal zones. The livelihoods of many people in developing and emergent countries depend on coastal fishing and tourism.

In the ports of many developing countries, national legal / legislative provisions do not adequately cover the disposal of wastes and toxic materials. The 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is seldom observed.

The most recent example of the root problem was brought to light by the new International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), which went into effect in July 2004. The introduction of this new international code brought major problems to many developing and emergent countries. It proved difficult to integrate the code into the legislation of the respective countries; decision-makers had hardly been sensitised to the issue; and the parties directly involved were often not sufficiently informed about applying and monitoring international regulations. Resources, training, efficient management structures and international knowledge in the field were all in short supply at the offices of the authorities and in the private companies affected. Clearly, inadequate environmental and safety standards can translate into indirect barriers to trade, because when safety codes are not observed, the respective country is threatened with shipping delays and sanctions.

Objective

Port and environmental authorities and local businesses in South American ports are taking measures to reduce risks to the environment and accidents in the handling of ship’s and cargo wastes and in the transfer of dangerous goods.

Approach

The project originated at the initiative of Uruguay’s port administration (ANP), the Uruguayan navigation centre (CENNAVE), and the regional trainer network ATAS, which requested assistance from German Development Cooperation for strengthening the environmental / safety sector in South American ports.

Four ports were selected for the practical on-site work:

• Puerto Madryn (Argentina)
• Montevideo (Uruguay)
• Valparaiso (Chile)
• Asunción (Paraguay)

Port authorities and local firms are advised on the implementation of international standards and conventions, and training courses are held in the ports. Focus is on the introduction of environmental and safety management systems that conform to international standards. Appropriate training material is provided for the purpose. Individual staff members have been trained as internal auditors to test the efficiency of the management systems and to secure their continuity.

In cooperation with the region’s chamber of foreign trade and the private sector, a manual on environmental and safety technology was published for the port sector.

In 2004, a competition was held on the topic of the environment and safety for ports and transport in order to make private companies located in the ports more aware of environmental and safety issues.

On the national level of the countries mentioned, the responsible authorities in the legislative and executive branches of the government are being advised on environmental protection issues and on the protection of maritime resources.

The project’s results, progress and experience have been made available to a wider audience via an Internet page. In addition, regional information events, conferences and symposia are being held on the regional level.

Close cooperation with projects throughout the world, such as the coastal protection projects of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in South America, the EU project ECOPORTS in Europe, and the German project in Romania, Environmental and Safety Management in Black Sea Ports, creates synergy, conserves resources and promotes South-South cooperation. 

Results achieved so far

Strategies and plans of action have been developed for all of the ports mentioned and are already being implemented with project support. Previous to these, systematic assessments of the condition of the environment and the status of the safety situation were carried out, as were analyses of legal and institutional framework conditions in each of the respective locations. Comparison with international benchmarks afforded a critical perspective on the local situation. Based on these assessments and analyses, results- and impact-oriented plans of action were drawn up together with the partners in the pilot ports. All of the pilot ports are currently working on introducing international management systems that focus on environment and safety. They are thus securing both their ecological and their economic sustainability, so that in the future, too, they will be able to cope with the growing demands of international markets.

Further information

• Local website of the project
  Proyecto Regional para el Fortalecimiento de la Gestión Ambiental y Seguridad en Puertos de América del Sur (GAPAS)
  www.gapas.com.uy