New work to assess the environmental impacts of wastes from mining operations which have been disposed into the marine environment is set to begin shortly.
The work will be undertaken by a dedicated working group, established by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP).
GESAMP, which is a UN advisory body, set up the working group when it met for its 43rd annual session, in Nairobi, Kenya (14-18 November).
The agenda covered the group’s current work, including the evaluation of the hazards of harmful substances carried by ships and the review of applications for ‘active substances’ to be used in ballast water management systems.
Marine geoengineering, which is the subject of study by a another GESAMP working group, was also discussed.
GESAMP also discussed its role in and contribution to UN related processes such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its engagement with the wider international community. IMO hosts the GESAMP secretariat.