Transcript Slide 1

MesoAmerican-Caribbean Hydrographic
Commission
Electronic Chart Working Group
Progress Report
Katie Ries, Chair
Cartagena, Colombia
May 31, 2005
Electronic Chart Working Group
• Goal: Demonstrate and facilitate the use of
official electronic chart data for safe, efficient,
and environmentally-sensitive maritime
navigation.
• Objectives:
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Facilitate the production and use of ENCs and RNCs
Improve hydrographic capacity of coastal states
Identify sources for acquiring equipment, software, and training
Speed up ENC production for key ports & major shipping routes
Establish data distribution service within MACHC region
Increase awareness of benefits of using EC data
Electronic Chart Working Group
Chair: Katie Ries, USA (NOAA)
Vice Chair: LCDR Rafael Ponce (Mexican Navy)
Technical Coordinator: Dr. Lee Alexander
Two Task Groups:
1. MesoAmerican Capacity Building Pilot Project
- Improve capacity building of coastal state hydrographic offices in a
defined area
- Initial focus: the IADB-administered, GEF-funded Gulf of Honduras
Project
2. ENC Production and Distribution
Improve ENC coverage of the entire region in the short to medium term,
and promote production of ENC data by national hydrographic offices
Initial focus: Catalyze production of small-scale ENCs for region
Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport
Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project
Environmental Protection and Maritime Transport
Pollution Control in the Gulf of Honduras Project
Project Objective:
To reverse the degradation of the coastal and
marine ecosystems within the Gulf of Honduras by
enhancing the prevention and control from maritime
transport-related pollution in the major ports and
navigation lanes, improving navigational safety to
avoid groundings and spills, and reducing land-based
sources of pollution draining into the Gulf.
Major Project Components
Component 1: Building regional capacity for
maritime and land-based pollution control.
Component 2: Building the information
base for the Strategic Action Plan.
Component 3: Enhancing navigational safety in
shipping lanes.
Component 4: Improving environmental
management and hazard reduction in network of
five ports within the Gulf of Honduras
Major Project Components
Component 3: Enhancing navigational
safety in shipping lanes.
Focuses on improving the hydrographic and
oceanographic cooperation in the region to both
prevent and prepare for groundings and spills in
the Gulf related to marine transportation
operations
(references active collaboration with MACHC)
Create institutional arrangement for conducting
hydrographic work.
Project
Hydrographic
Support
Hydrographic data
acquisition for priority
ports including updating
surveys where needed.
Survey
Create ENC for priority
ports and pilot an
inclusion of env. data
layers.
ENC
Establishment of formal training.
Integrate hydrographic
data / ENC applications
in the project’s env.
information management
system and facilitate
access.
GIS
Progress
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Project approved by the Global Environment Facility and the
InterAmerican Development Bank
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COCATRAM designated the regional executing agency and a
Project Coordinating Unit being set up in Puerto Cortes
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Project could become operational by the end of this year
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IHB visit to Central America carried out in Feb/March 2005
to reinforce formation of national coordinating committees
and importance of S-55
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Actively coordinating with IHO Capacity Building Committee
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Began development of hydrographic workplan, starting with
survey priorities for Gulf of Honduras Marine Highway
Initial Survey Priorities
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Identified the individual country survey priorities
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While all are important, the Bahia de Amantique its
approaches to the ports of Santo Tomas and Puerto
Barrios should be highest priority based on the
following:
-These two ports represents greatest volume of traffic
-Feasible given likely amount of funding
-integrate the rest of the proposed regional “marine highway”
-Presents an opportunity for all participating countries to learn
how to conduct resurveys of particularly unstable area
-provide updated information for charts
-Environmental risks due to shipping accidents is particularly
great
Still to be done
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Identify means to conduct surveys
(Contract vs. In-Country) and establish sustained
capability
Either option requires training (Cat. A and B) and
support to cost out
Identify ENC production needs and how to
accomplish
Identify pilot activity to demonstrate applications
for environmental protection
Produce full plan and associated budget for the
countries to advance
Capacity Building Assistance Needed
(MACHC and IHO/CBC)
1. Category A and B Training for key personnel
2. Category A hydrographer to help do survey
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assessment and planning for GoH Project
Ongoing advice for project implementation
High level country visits to reinforce national
hydrographic coordinating committees
Other partnerships to support other project
activities
Identify GoH Project as a priority for region
Task Group 2: Small-Scale ENCs
• Agreed at last meeting:
– INT Chart scheme will be basis for production
--Will use proposed French ENC cell scheme to address
overlaps in ENC cell coverage
– Identified HOs willing to produce INT paper charts
and ENCs
– Produced ENCs should undergo a consistency check
by 3rd party (IC-ENC and Primar Stavanger have
offered).
– Small-scale ENCs will be available free-of-charge.
MACHC Small-Scale ENC Cell Boundaries *
Red Limits represent the roughly equivalent Paper INT Charts
INT 4015
INT 4016
INT 4017
INT 4013
INT 4021
INT 4012
INT 4011
INT 4022
INT 4023
INT 4025
* Proposed by France; agreed by TG2, 1 September 2004
Priority Ports/Routes for ENCs
• Accomplished:
– Minor revisions in area designations
– Added additional ports (e.g., Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Suriname,
USA, & Venezuela)
– Incorporated/highlighted cruise ship ports
– Added Environmentally Sensitive Sea Areas (ESSAs)
– Began development of a detailed table for each area
– Added GoH Project Ports
• Need:
– A more detailed map of area boundaries
– Determine Pacific Ocean ports
ENC Distribution Options
• Accomplished
– Preference is for:
a) To establish own RENC
b) Or, join an existing RENC
– Designated a small Task Group to look into pros and
cons of each option
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Mexico
• Venezuela (Chair)
Workshop held in UK (2/05) to look at regional options.
Task Group to provide recommendations at next
MACHC meeting