Environmental improvement with additional instruments for environmental protection in port areas

Transcription

1 Environmental improvement with additional instruments for environmental protection in port areas MARINSKI J., FLOQI T., DROUMEVA G., BRANCA T. GeoEcoMar Bucharest, ROMANIA

2 complex legislation which still hasn t found the balance between the business interests in sea transport and the environment protection in the port regions and coastal zone poor enforcement of the regulations. The context analysis of environmental situation in Corridor8 ports shows growing sensibility of the management authorities to the environmental issues and objective difficulties for development of appropriate environmental policies due to the following reasons: the complex legislation which still hasn t found yet the balance between the business interests in sea transport and the environment protection; poor enforcement of the regulations. In order to mitigate the negative impact of these realities, some possible tools for environmental policy implementation in the SEE area ports are proposed.

3 Additional instruments for environmental protection in port areas EMS RA LUP ICZM GeoEcoMar Bucharest, ROMANIA

4 EMS Environmental management system Potential benefits of certification are: - Improved environmental performance; - Enhanced compliance assurance; - Prevention of pollution and resource conservation; - New customers/markets; - Increased efficiency/reduced costs; - Enhanced employee morale; -Enhanced image with public, regulators, lenders, investors; -- Reduced risk.

5 Port environmental policy Key principles Strategic objectives Improvement programme of the eco-performance of the SEE port areas revised regularly and integrated with other managerial plans, strategies and budgets Monitoring and measurement system of environmental performance indicators Training and communication Common shared guidelines for eco-management of Ecoport 8 s ports and a shared protocol to be submitted to Authorities, guaranteeing EU eco-competition and co-operation EMS Environmental management system 2 tasks - Formulation of the basic steps and elements of the system for environmental management in ports which meet the requirements of the international standards and with which the ports can be certified, outlining the respective benefits from the certification; - On the basis of the implemented analyses (standard analysis, documental analysis and SWOT analysis ) to point out the concrete steps and activities for the management system application, concretely for ECOPORT 8 ports. The implementation of the above mentioned tasks will contribute to understand clearer how the management systems functions and how in reality they are applied to the corridor ports, in the same time turning into a basic part of the improved program and the general strategy for environmental protection in the port regions of ECOPORT8 Initial environmental review EMS: Legal requirements ; Current procedures and practices; Significant environmental aspects and impacts Port environmental policy Key principles; Strategic objectives Improvement programme of the eco-performance of the SEE port areas revised regularly and integrated with other managerial plans, strategies and budgets Monitoring and measurement Training and communication Common shared guidelines for eco-management of Ecoport 8 s ports and a shared protocol to be submitted to Authorities, guaranteeing EU eco-competition and co-operation EMS Environmental management system GeoEcoMar Headquarters, Bucharest, ROMANIA,

6 a) Initial environmental review: Conclusions: 1) Port monitoring and measurements are needed in all ports to determine of significant aspects and impacts in detail; 2) To introduce monitoring, based on environmental performance indicators in order to measure progress in environmental port practices. b) Port environmental policy : Several key principles to establish an environmental policy by ECOPORT8 s ports in compliance with environmental standards are indentified: for PORT AUTHORITIES : 1) placing environmental management among the highest port organizational priorities; 2)clear commitments and responsibilities of the managing bodies of the ports to the protection of the environment and prevention of pollution; 3)commitments to evaluate environmental performance and the continual improvement of port environmental behavior; Strategic objectives are synthesized as a basis for the common environmental policy of ECOPORT8s ports: 1)To minimize any significant adverse environmental impact through preparation and implementation of comprehensive environmental management plans 2)To design all infrastructures in such a way as to minimize their environmental impacts; 3)To develop system of environmental performance indicators in order to measure and assess the progress in environmental port practices;

7 c) Improvement programme of the eco-performance of the port areas involved in the project; The Final report of WP4 activities of ECOPORT8 is considered as an improvement programme of the eco-performance for the port areas involved in the project. At the same time based on the context analysis of the current situation regarding the environmental protection and management in PAN-EU Corridor 8 ports, a complex of environmental objectives and principal measures are suggested which include, except of existing legislation and regulations, the present additional instruments: Environmental objectives Principal measures 1. To indentify and ensure compliance with environmental legislation 1)Each of SEE area ports to create Legal Register on the basis of Chapter 4 2)To elaborate an comprehensive environmental management system according to ISO 14001(4) and SEE area ports environmental policy 1)Each of SEE area ports to update the existing management system and programmes (plans) using ECOPORT8 recommendations and guidelines; 2)To determine environmental aspects and impacts more precisely associated with normal, abnormal and emergency conditions; 3. To evaluate and manage environmental risk 1)To introduce a modern system for environment pollution risk assessment; 4) To apply the ICZM approach and tools for achieving environmental goals 1) To develop a permanent PAN-EU network, in the SEE area ports 2)To develop the data monitoring network 5) To use and practice environmental preventive measures including 1)Identifying the connection of port areas with ones based on land and maritime use planning neighboring territories and aquatories on the ecological map in view of coordinating actions and measures addressing environmental protection issues; GeoEcoMar Bucharest, ROMANIA

8 d) Monitoring and measurement Conclusions 1. Data from measurements and monitoring of existing sources of information need professional analysis and processing (sometimes including computer modeling) in order to identify more precisely significant aspects and environmental impacts. 2) In the program of monitoring of ECOPORT 8 ports it is important to be included: Developing a system of environmental performance indicators in ECOPORT8 ports in order to measure and assess the progress in environmental port practices. e) Training & communication This will entail the following actions: 2.1 Communication and dissemination plan; 2.2 creation of project logo and website;2.3 implementation of centralized press office;2.4 Workshops and Conference: organization of 3 relevant events; f) Creation of common shared guidelines for eco-management of ports including and a shared protocol to be submitted to Authorities, guaranteeing EU eco-competition and co-operation - Elaboration of common and shared guidelines for the environmental management of ports (according to UNI EN ISO standards); - Elaboration of final protocol in order to establish common standards of control and monitoring of the principal environmental parameters within the ports.

9 RA Risk Analysis Identification existing problems Anticipate the risks Planning of appropriate measures Setting of research priorities Provide a scientific basis for regulatory actions RA provides a information needed to make management decisions to ensure safety of a port.

10 RA Risk Analysis Quantitative risk analysis is essential for those ports where hazardous cargoes are handled. It is mainly undertaken to enable port authorities to determine the action that is needed to improve the safety of navigation and to deal with the foreseeable effects of an incident in the port area and in the port waters.

11 RA Risk Analysis Procedures: hazard identification determines whether a particular danger exists, if the effects associated with the hazard are significant to warrant further study or immediate management action, and the kinds of data required to determine the level of risk exposure assessment determines the exposure to the hazardous agent in question and includes the measurement or prediction of movement, fate and partitioning of chemicals in the environment risk characterisation involves describing the nature and magnitude of risks, including the inherent uncertainties; risk can be defined as a product of the probability of occurrence of a hazardous event and the magnitude resulting harmful consequences risk management make decisions about whether an assessed risk needs to be managed and the means for accomplishing it

12 LUP Land use planning To include in the project a preliminary development of a ecological infrastructure in Land Use Plan for the port case study: LUP will define the boundaries of the port area, as the final objective of the strategic planning for the Port: This strategic planning comprises the long-term development plans for the port, the associated nature compensation measures and the creation of new natural areas within the port area Environmental Impact Assessment of LUP guarantee maximum protection of the surrounding residential areas, build up the ecological infrastructure inside and outside the port area and make efficient use of space

13 Identifying the connection of port areas with neighbouring territories and aquatories on the ecological map Identifying the connection of port areas with neighbouring territories and aquatories on the ecological map in view of coordinating actions and measures addressing environmental protection issues Ports should be considered as part of the coastal area accommodating beaches, inlets, lagoons, lakes, protected territories and water areas, coastal waters, built-up territories, industrial sites, agricultural land, Special Protection Area s (SPA s), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC s), etc. Within the mentioned extensive diversity this type of ecological map should contribute to and facilitate environmental protection by its preventive character. This is related both to the territories and coastal waters in immediate contact with the boundaries of the port aquatory, Fig.6.7, where there are still pending issues generated by definite interests. Conclusion:Environmental approach and initiatives in the field of port infrastructure and management are quite diverse and extensive. Applying the territory planning approach to ports has a strongly expressed preventive nature. This approach should be considered as an element of the general strategy for environmental protection in port areas.

14 ICZM Integrated coastal zone management ICZM is also an example of an ecosystem approach ; developed as an overall strategy for integrated environmental management promoting conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. To achieve the objectives of ECOPORT 8, general principles and tools that are used in integrated management of coastal zones are provided. In this connection the integrated management of coastal areas (ICZM) as the approach is foreseen as an additional instrument in the environmental improved program of the port areas of cross-border corridor. Implementation of ICZM tools in ECOPORT8 project: a) The integration principle b) Integrated network c) EU marine observation and data network d) European network for maritime surveillance e) Coastal GIS f) Maritime spatial planning g) Implementation of ICZM projects of ports of Corridor 8 in ECOPORT8 The implementation of ICZM tools in ECOPORT8 project is one of the goals of the project and is an important part of the present improvement programme for eco performance of the SEE port area.

15 CONCLUSION Environmental management instruments can help ports to manage environmental performance. Next to the general applied environmental management instruments are networking between port authorities on environmental management. ECOPORT 8 will provide a platform for exchange of knowledge.

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