Removal of Barriers to the Effective Implementation of Ballast Water Control and Management Measures in Developing Countries (GloBallast)

The long-term objective of this project is to assist developing countries in reducing the transfer of harmful organisms from ship ballast water. The project will increase the extent to which ships calling on developing country ports adhere to the at present voluntary international Guidelines of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and will assist developing countries in the development of programmes necessary to implement an anticipated ballast water annex to the MARPOL Convention (or a new Convention). Effective, country based Pilot Demonstration Projects at specified ports within six developing nations, representative of each global development region, will be supported. The countries include Brazil/port of Sepetiba, China/port of Dalian, India/ port of Mumbai (Bombay), Iran/Kharg Island, South Africa/port of Saldanha, and Ukraine/port of Odessa. Regional involvement will be effected through Regional Task Forces. Barriers to be overcome, as identified in the PDF-B project phase, include those of an educational, informational, technical, institutional, financial, political, cultural, and legal nature. There are six (6) major project objectives. The objectives address the need for effective project management and coordination, stakeholder and public awareness and educational activities, barrier removal efforts in targeted countries, monitoring activities, regional involvement and identification of opportunities for self-financing and the recruitment of additional donors to ensure long-term sustainability. The ultimate goals of the present GEF/UNDP/IMO project are: to reduce the transfer of harmful organisms in ship ballast water; to create an initial Program Coordination Unit in the IMO leading to the establishment of an ongoing ballast water management capacity at the IMO; the creation of effective ballast water management methodologies at the regional level and based on IMO Guidelines; and ,li>the development of Decision Support Systems, a tool kit of ballast water treatment options, an array of management approaches developed during the three year GEF/UNDP/IMO project, and an effective communications system to rapidly communicate ballast water treatment methodologies and other ballast water management related information at the global level.

Documents & Resources

experience-notes Experience Note: Piloting a New Convention: How GloBallast Pilot Countries Catalyzed Approval of the Ballast Water Convention newsletter Ballast Water News Issue 4: January - March 2001 Ballast Water News Issue 15: October - December 2003 Ballast Water News Issue 16: January - March 2004 Ballast Water News Issue 1: April - June 2000 Ballast Water News Issue 2: July - September 2000 Ballast Water News Issue 3: October - December 2000 Ballast Water News Issue 5: April - June 2001 Ballast Water News Issue 7: October - December 2001 Ballast Water News Issue 6: July - September 2001 Ballast Water News Issue 8: January - March 2002 Ballast Water News Issue 10: July - September 2002 Ballast Water News Issue 11: October - December 2002 Ballast Water News Issue 14: July - September 2003 BallastWaterNews16 project-document Removal of Barriers to the Effective Implementation of Ballast Water Control and Management Measures in Developing Countries: Project Brief Removal of Barriers to the Effective Implementation of Ballast Water Control and Management Measures in Developing Countries presentation Invaders From the Sea maps_graphic expnote_globallast610_mediapartnership