Presentation

· Contributors · Organizations · Search Program · Flagged · Happening Now

Tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today: perspectives on African oiled wildlife preparedness and response

SessionWildlife - Preparedness and Response

DescriptionAfrica is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, representing one-third of the world’s biodiversity. The African continent is also home to five of the top 30 oil-producing countries in the world. The ability to respond effectively to an oiled wildlife incident is dependent on countries’ investing in preparedness tools, which include quick and guaranteed access to resources such as specialised equipment, trained expertise, and appropriate facilities. Some African countries, notably in Southern Africa, have made significant strides in developing preparedness and building capacity to be able to respond to oiled wildlife incidents; however, overall preparedness on the African continent remains low. Many African countries face severe socio-economic challenges that often divert resources away from biodiversity issues. As a result, they are often poorly prepared to respond to oil pollution incidents affecting wildlife. The fact that new oil exploration and production activities are sometimes planned in areas that are either new (inland) or difficult to access brings novel challenges to wildlife planning and preparedness. International networks of professional oiled wildlife responders have developed mechanisms to provide response services globally to oil industry and government stakeholders. Their mobilisation may also require a response in Africa, in a country where preparedness is not well developed, and Tier 1 and often Tier 2 resources are scarce or have not yet been identified. From the perspective of an international Tier 3 response capability, it is important to be aware of these challenges and explore how to overcome them in the interest of the reputation of a mobilising party. This paper describes the challenges of responding to wildlife incidents in African marine and inland environments, drawing on insights from past and current response operations and preparedness projects and providing recommendations on the minimum requirements for a wildlife intervention to be considered successful.

Authors