BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

AMBIPAR, a leading environmental consultancy company, is conducting a workshop on oil spill response in the Solomon Islands.

The weeklong workshop, which began on Monday and will conclude on Friday, is currently underway at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara.

Led by Ambipar Response senior trainers Glenn Hill and Nicola Jackson, along with Paul Irving from SPREP, the workshop brings together representatives from the Solomon Islands Maritime Authority, the Ministry of Health, South Pacific Oil, National Fisheries Development, and other organizations involved in emergency management.

The workshop is being delivered by the United Kingdom in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the Ocean Country Partnership Programme, engaging Ambipar as the consultancy company.

The goal of the workshop is to educate and equip stakeholders with the necessary skills to prepare for and respond to oil spills in Solomon Islands waters.

Speaking to Island Sun, Paul Irving, SPREP PACPLAN Resilience Project Marine Pollution Officer, stated:

“Participants are learning how an oil spill can occur, what preparations have been made, where the equipment is located, what the planning process entails, and who will respond and how those individuals will carry out the response.”

He added that another key objective of the workshop is to strengthen teamwork among these organizations during oil spill crises in the Solomon Islands.

“A similar workshop was held last year, but it was more of a preparatory session. This one focuses on the national response plan,’’ said Irving.

“Last year, we discussed what an oil spill is and its potential impact on the environment and people. This year, we are looking at the systems in place to respond effectively,’’ he added.

For feedback, contact: [email protected]