8048PERSGA Concludes National Workshop for the Validation of the Revised National Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Plan of Egypt

PERSGA Concludes National Workshop for the Validation of the Revised National Oil and Chemical Spill Contingency Plan of Egypt

Apr 16 ,2026 3 Minutes To Full Read

The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) successfully concluded a national workshop to validate Egypt’s revised National Spill Contingency Plan (NSCP) for marine oil and chemical spills. The workshop was held at the EMARSGA Centre in Hurghada from 13 to 16 April 2026, bringing together 28 participants, including two online attendees.

Participants represented a wide range of national institutions, including the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), the Ministry of Defence (Navy, Coast Guard, Chemical Warfare Department, and Signals Corps), the Ministry of Petroleum (Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation), the Maritime Transport Sector, the Cabinet’s Crisis and Disaster Management Unit, the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), the Shore Protection Authority, the Waste Management Authority, as well as the Red Sea and South Sinai Governorates.

Over the first two days, participants were introduced to the revised structure and content of the NSCP, including the integration of a dedicated Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) chapter. Technical sessions highlighted international best practices promoted by the International Maritime Organization, alongside the application of the Incident Command System (ICS) and response frameworks specific to HNS incidents.

On the third day, participants engaged in interactive tabletop exercises based on simulated oil and HNS spill scenarios. These exercises enabled the practical application of key response functions, including incident assessment, activation of national response mechanisms, coordination and resource management, reporting procedures, and post-incident evaluation.

Participants were also introduced to regional efforts in contingency planning and response, as well as advanced spill modelling tools available at the EMARSGA Centre, and were trained in their application within emergency scenarios. In addition, they were familiarized with updated maritime incident reporting forms developed by PERSGA. All participants received comprehensive training materials, including the final draft of the revised NSCP.

The final day focused on evaluating exercise outcomes and consolidating workshop results. Participants conducted a technical review of response performance, identified key gaps, and agreed on priority actions to strengthen national preparedness and response capacity. The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at supporting the effective operationalization of the revised NSCP and guiding future capacity-building efforts at both national and regional levels.

The validated NSCP will be finalized and submitted to EEAA by 30 April 2026, marking an important milestone in strengthening Egypt’s national framework for preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents.

This activity was implemented under Phase I of the SFISH Project (Sustainable Fisheries Development in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden), financed by the World Bank and executed by PERSGA across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region in its Member States.