Like natural marine disasters, technological accidents can have significant ecological and socio-economic impacts. One example is the recent Prestige accident (2002) just off the coast of Spain which resulted in a shoreline that was heavily polluted by oil, a spill that extended for over hundreds of kilometres, causing one of the worst ecological disasters in European waters. Another essential safety issue concerns coastal flooding, which has become a very current topic as a result of the recent tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. As a result of the devastating impact of the tsunami, the original natural and man-made protection level of the coastal areas from natural events occurring in the sea has been severely decreased. Building coastal defences for protection from flooding is required but the question must be asked whether this would be sustainable in future. Appropriate development strategy, coastal zone management accompanied by new flood prevention measures and warning systems are necessary. The third safety topic addressed is coastal morphodynamics related to natural coastal evolution and the impact of human intervention in the coastal system.
Within this study, a global inventory was performed on these three safety- and risk-related topics in the marine environment. As such, questions related to technical capabilities, (inter)national programmes involved, and ambitions for the near future were addressed. The results of this study can form the basis in guiding research work conducted in the near future through the identification of hotspot issues and gaps in required knowledge and understanding. In addition, the Spill Response Group Holland has been started. This group consists of government agencies, research institutes and commercial companies involved in oil and chemical policies, regulation, modelling, and the prevention of oil spills. |
