10-11 May 2022, the regional workshop on the role of volunteers in pollution response along the coast and in the shoreline” was held on 10-11 May 2022, at The Russelior Hotel in South Hammamet-Tunisia in cooperation with the Center for Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution (Cedre).

The workshop was animated by Arnaud Guéna, Deputy Director and Production Manager of Cedre. This event was sponsored by the Tunisian National Oil Company (ETAP) and the Environmental Assessment and Management (EAM).

The event gathered 40 delegates from MOIG members, relevant Tunisian stakeholders and oil and gas Libyan companies such as: ANPE, Azzawia Oil Refining Company, CTKCP, EAM, Eni Tunisia, ETAP, Lamor Corporation, General Secretariat of Marine Affairs, Ministry of Transport, National Oil Corporation, ONPC, Security Direction, SEREPT, SAROST, TOPIC, TRAPSA and TPS.

The main objectives of this workshop were to remind the combating strategies in the coastal zone and the shoreline, to understand the role of volunteers in pollution response at sea (fishermen), in the shoreline cleanup and in the waste management, to know how to manage volunteers by the authorities and to practice the implementation of volunteers management plan through practical works.

The workshop programme included oral presentations hinged around the following topics : Definition of the term Volunteers and presentation of POSOW 1 and POSOW 2 projects co-funded by the EU/DG-ECHO, reminder on the major strategies in pollution response and the place of volunteers, shoreline survey by volunteers, intervention of volunteers in the shoreline cleanup, role of volunteers in waste management, role of volunteers in wildlife rescue, role of fishermen in response on water and conclusions on the role and management of volunteers. In addition, participants afforded the opportunity to simulate five scenarios of volunteers management in a port, a rocky shore, two sandy beaches and mangroves.

We were very delighted by the rewarding working atmosphere, MOIG members, representatives from Libyan oil and gas companies and relevant Tunisian stakeholders worked together, shared their views and applied what they have learned from the workshop during the desktop exercises.

At the end of the event, certificates of attendance were awarded to participants by Mr. Arnaud Guéna and the Management Committee Members composed of MM. Mahmoud Kamour, Malek Kallel and Hatem Ben Khelil.

The Management Committee Members would like to thank Arnaud Guéna for the high quality training course provided to participants and greatly appreciated its professionalism and expertise, thereby contributing to the success of this event. Thus, will pave the way for further cooperation on oil spill preparedness and response between Cedre and MOIG. In addition, the Management Committee would like also to thank both ETAP and EAM for sponsoring this event.