Mr. Chairman,

 

all these emerging Energy and Mining corridors suscitate a number of quite demanding nautical challenges, but I would like to raise a specific one as a final input to this session.

 

It’s about the intense environmental stresses that all these maritime flows will impose on coastal areas already pressured in various ways (socially, economically and demographically).

 

During the next 8 years we are poised to watch an unprecedented maritime intensity that, in addition to intense perpendicularities to coasts densely populated by small-boats (fishing, leisure cruisers and cabotage), will inject a powerful fleet of sea-carriers on a Channel of Mozambique already navigated by more than 6,000 mega-carriers (oil, minerals and grains).

 

I believe that some kind of order has to be attained for the sake of our marine commons.

 

And this led me to a sympathizing rethinking of a proposition made in the early 2000’s whose objective was the establishment of a technical route in the Channel.

 

The rational behind the proposal was simple: to deliver modern maritime information and management systems that, together with a strong build-up of technical competences, would offer a substantial improvement on maritime safety.

 

I suspect that one of the main reasons why that technical proposition failed to gain the necessary acceptance was the absence or impossibility of dialogue with crucial partners: major extractors, governments and military institutions, and communities as interested and affected parties.

 

Hence, a final thought: the importance and opportunity of dialogues such as this one proposed by SADSEM/FES cannot be overestimated for the simple reason that, if we start right now, we may still have the chance to attain the maritime standards demanded by the coming Energy and Mining Corridors.

 

Thank you!

Energy and Mining Corridors 2020

Good Morning

... Coal

Fluvial ideas

hydrocarbons

natural gas

Mining Extractions

Routes & Dialogues