The Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents (JEG) organized a seminar on emerging risks in accidental water pollution: focus on natural hazard-triggered accidents. The seminar was hosted by the Ministry of Interior of Hungary, supported by Germany. It was held in Budapest, Hungary and online on 5 October 2022 from 09:30-15:30 CET. In-person participants were offered the opportunity to join a field visit.
The main objective of the seminar was to further strengthen accidental water pollution risk in transboundary river basins. In particular, the seminar aimed to provide a forum to discuss how natural hazard-triggered industrial accidents (Natech) can be better understood, as well as to identify good practices and innovative approaches. It covered the following challenges:
- Challenge 1 – Understanding and preventing accidental water pollution as a result of natural hazards (Natech): lessons learned
- Challenge 2 – Prevention by design: safe industrial installations in a changing climate
- Challenge 3 – Innovative approaches to limit the consequences of accidental water pollution events
These challenges were discussed by experts on accidental water pollution, natural hazards, mine tailings safety and transboundary cooperation from the UNECE region and beyond, including members of the JEG. In addition, the seminar included a number of interactive components and encourage participation of the audience, using break-out groups and moderated discussions.
Further information about the seminar can be found in the below agenda.
The seminar was hosted by the Ministry of Interior of Hungary, with financial support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany.
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Background information |
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Agenda |
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Conclusions |
Presentations
Opening
- Co-Chairs of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, Péter Kovács, Head of River Basin Management and Water Protection Department, Ministry of Interior, Hungary and Bojan Srdić, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Republic of Serbia
- Szilárd Szabó, Head of the International Department of the National Disaster Management Directorate of Hungary, Hungary: Emerging risks in preventing accidental water pollution: climate-related weather events, Natech and accidental water pollution Recording ENG
- Franziska Hirsch, Secretary, UNECE secretariat to the Industrial Accidents Convention, Max Linsen, Environmental Affairs Consultant, UNECE secretariat to the Industrial Accidents Convention, and Hanna Plotnykova, Environmental Affairs Officer, UNECE secretariat to the Water Convention: The role of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents in addressing Natech and climate change: current instruments and future action
Challenge 1 – Understanding and preventing accidental water pollution as a result of natural hazards (Natech): lessons learned
Moderator: Pavel Danihelka, Head of the Department of Risk Research and Management, Occupational Safety Research Institute, Czech Republic, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents: Complexity of Natech Recording ENG
- Esi Biney, Chief Ecologist of the Water Resources Commission, Ghana, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents: Ghana: Natech, tailings management facilities (TMFs) safety and past events
- Vitalii Mutaf, Head of Internal Security and Prevention Service, Republic of Moldova, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents: Republic of Moldova: Floods and accidental water pollution in a transboundary context Recording ENG
- Zoltán Török, Associate Professor and, Director of the Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents: Romania: Lessons learned from past Natech accidents to be ready for future circumstances Recording ENG
- Discussion and questions
Challenge 2 – Prevention by design: safe industrial installations in a changing climate
Moderator: Lendita Dika, State Counsellor for Industrial Pollution and Risk Management, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, Republic of North Macedonia, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents: North Macedonia: Potential pollution with Cr6+ from Jugohrom landfill
- Dinara Ziganshina, Director, Scientific-Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia: Adaptation of critical infrastructure to the effects of climate change, focus on technological risks Recording ENG
- David Brett, Senior Technical Director, Mine Waste and Water Management, GHD Tasmania, and Annika Bjelkevik, Tailings Dam Consultant, Tailings Consultants Scandinavia AB: International Commission of Large Dams: an updated bulletin on tailings dam design principles Recording ENG
- Discussion and questions
Challenge 3 – Innovative approaches to limit the consequences of accidental water pollution events
Moderator: Zoltán Török, Associate Professor, Manager of Research Institute for Sustainability and Disaster Management, Babes-Bolyai University, Romania, and member of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents
- Leon Dhaene, Secretary-General, International Scheldt Commission: Warning- and Alert System of the Scheldt and recent pollutions Recording ENG
- Brendan Duprey, Director, Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute: Nature-based solutions for TMF safety in Kazakhstan Recording ENG
- Arnaud Vander Velpen, Senior Research Associate, University of Geneva Sand industry and Data Analytics Officer, UNEP/GRID-Geneva: Ore-sand: A circular economy solution to the mine tailings and sand sustainability crises Recording ENG
- Discussion and questions
Conclusions
- Co-Chair of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, Bojan Srdić, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Republic of Serbia: Outcomes of the seminar;
- Concluding remarks by Co-Chair of the Joint Expert Group on Water and Industrial Accidents, Péter Kovács, Head of River Basin Management and Water Protection Department, Ministry of Interior, Hungary.