NOAA was part of an international team that assessed and advised in the aftermath of an oil spill in a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Bangladesh.

On December 9, 2014, the oil tanker Southern Star 7 sank near the port of Mongla in the Sundarbans region of the country and spilled an estimated 350,000 L. of heavy fuel oil. A 25-person Joint UN-Government of Bangladesh Mission was mobilized and spent five days in the Sundarbans assessing the impact of the oil and the need for additional cleanup beyond that mounted locally in the first two weeks.

The UN assessment team was divided into six subgroups: Oiling Extent, Response, Aquatic, Mangrove, Wildlife, and Human/Livelihood. NOAA led the Mangrove and Wildlife groups and advised the other teams as appropriate. Initial findings and recommendations were prepared and presented to the Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forests in the capital city of Dhaka on December 31st. The team produced a summary.

For more information, contact Gary.Shigenaka@noaa.gov.

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