NOAA Presents at Oil Spill Response Workshop in Timor-Leste
MARCH 25, 2024 — OR&R’s Ruth Yender, the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator for Oceania, assisted with an oil spill response workshop sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), held in Dili, Timor-Leste from March 18–22. The workshop was intended to assist Timor-Leste agencies as they develop national level emergency response plans.
USINDOPACOM is one of six geographic Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces. It works with other U.S. government agencies, allies, and partners to enhance stability in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, and deterring aggression.
Over 45 attendees from ten Timor-Leste agencies and organizations participated in the workshop. Responsibilities of the attending agencies included oil and pollution control, maritime authority and transportation, and port operations.
The workshop included classroom lectures, as well as visits to the new Timor Port and adjacent environmentally sensitive areas. Topics presented by NOAA included environmental effects of oil spills, NOAA modeling and other tools for oil spill responders, oiled shoreline cleanup techniques, and managing seafood safety after oil spills. These presentations fostered international collaboration and understanding of effective emergency response assessment, response, and recovery.