South Korea Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration Kicks off The South Korean government has approved a large scale project of offshore exploration and drilling in the reserve off Yeongil Bay in Pohang to tap the country's massive gas and oil reserves estimated at 14 billion barrels (bbls0 . This may turn out to be one
Hydrography & Monaco The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1921 to promote cooperation among maritime nations in the field of hydrography and nautical charting. The IHO's main objective is to ensure that all the world's navigable waters are surveyed and charted to modern standards . The IHO is responsible for
High land Values Land reclamation is commonly undertaken around coastal cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong as land values are excessive thereby costs are justified by estate developers. What is not highlighted is that ocean water behaviours including tidal accumulation, sea level rise, connection to wetlands and aquatic biodiversity determine the success or failure
Coastal Barriers & Flooding at Thames Estuary Sophisticated Flood Barriers The development of the Thames Barrier ,which commenced in 1982, has protected UK since four decades and the astonishing part is that such an old technology maintains London as a global innovator against tidal and fluvial flooding.Whenever warnings are received of significant incoming tides mammoth
Shipping & Environmental Air Pollution As maritime transportation plays an important role for world sea trade its contribution to air pollution and climate change cannot be brushed aside. The current population of the world merchant fleet of 100 gross tonnage and above is about 117,000 vessels and the total gross tonnage is 1.36 billion. Annual
Reclamation in the South China Sea & Environmental Impact The South China Sea extends from a southwestern boundary along the parallel between Kalimantan and Sumatra northeast to a line drawn from the northern tip of Taiwan to the coast of Fukien, China. This semi enclosed marine area is bordered by China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau,
By Nadir Mumtaz Coastal Province of Balochistan & Reko Diq Copper Gold Project The province of Balochistan covers almost 44% of the country in term of area yet the population is only 5% of Pakistan’s population. Its potential natural resources are still geologically undiscovered. Alarmingly net foreign direct investment in Pakistan dipped by 2.9%
National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) approved coal price adjustment mechanism in the determination of coal upfront in 2014 leaving a caveat for review proceedings to consider potential fresh indices contingent on the formula of country of origin, calorific value, marine freight calculation revolving around time chartering rates and bunker fuel rate Echoing the views
International Seabed Authority The International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly of 168 member states met in Jamaica recently to regulate deep-sea mining however the progressive regulatory proposals of Chile, Vanuatu, Palau, France and Costa Rica were unfortunately vetoed and critical ocean environmental issues adjourned by the Assembly to next year. Calls for a precautionary pause or
Deep Subtidal Waters The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (project) has been approved to be developed as a marine container terminal on Canada’s West coast. Its location in deep subtidal waters is designed to minimize environmental effects. The burden will not be on the taxpayer as the port authority will finance the project. The federal government
