DHAKA: The government and UN Joint Sundarbans Oil Spill Response Mission formally released a report Sunday recommending further monitoring to analyze long term impacts of tanker capsize in river Shela of Sundarbans.
It was released in a press conference in Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium of the city in the afternoon.
According to the report, the short-term environmental impacts of the oil spill seem to be limited, but further monitoring has been recommended for analyzing likely long term impacts.
Furthermore, the Mission coordinated by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by the USAID, the European Union, the Government of France and the UK Government, emphasized that the oil spill incident presents a serious wake-up call for greater preparedness and response capabilities for environmental emergencies in the country.
The Mission discouraged traffic through the unique and biodiverse Sundarbans from an environmental perspective.
The report also highlighted a number of factors, including timely tidal variations and the decision to ban tanker traffic in the river that minimized the penetration of oil into the ecosystem.
However, it observed that the oil spill accident must be considered serious as it occurred in a wildlife sanctuary and world heritage site – treasured for its unique biodiversity.
The initial findings of the Mission were presented to the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the media on 31 December 2014, which made headlines in all major national and international media.
Moreover, the Bangladesh government is keen to implement the recommendations through formulating an action plan, that UNDP along with the development partners like to support.
UNDP country director Pauline Tamesis said, “The Sundarbans oil spill response was a collective effort of the Government of Bangladesh, the United Nations, and development partners.”
“It was an opportunity to demonstrate global solidarity to protect this natural heritage. While the report is completed, it leaves us with a set of recommendations for our continued collective implementation. UNDP will continue to assist Bangladesh government in the implementation of the report’s recommendations”
The team had left for the Sundabans on 22 December and returned on 28 December.
According to the report, the objective of the mission was to strengthen the government’s efforts in containing and cleaning up the oil spillage, as well as to provide support to assessing the situation and developing an action plan for a phased response and recovery.
The team spent six days in the affected area where site observations, interviews, aerial photography, sampling and other assessment techniques were used to evaluate the situation and develop recommendations.
The team members thought the mission had also provided an excellent knowledge-sharing opportunity to strengthen national oil spill preparedness and response capacity moving forward.
Earlier on December 9, an oil-tanker, carrying 350,000 litres oil, for a power plant in Gopalganj sank in Shela river near Chandpai range of Sundarbans after being hit by another tanker.
On December 15, the government sent a letter to UN for help and, in response, UN sent the observers team who stayed Sundarbans for six days to assess the extent of damage due to the oil spill and what measures can be taken immediately to recover from damage.
BDST: 2142 HRS, MAR 01, 2015
