Harbour Master
Harbour Masters
Worldwide there are approximately 3,000 merchant ports and the work of the Harbour Master can vary widely from country to country and from port to port even within the same country.
In recent days the Word Bank has issued a briefing on the Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program.
There is an introductory video available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJGC3FBd1Tc
It has been learnt that the African Union estimates that the Blue Economy currently generates nearly US$300 billion for the continent, creating 49 million jobs in the process.
These and other crucial benefits—most notably food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity—are entirely dependent on the ocean’s health.
By safeguarding and enhancing marine and coastal health, countries will be in a better position to take full advantage of future Blue Economy opportunities, which range from sustainable blue energy to aquaculture to blue carbon.
The World Bank is pioneering Blue Economy for Resilient Africa Program, announced at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s annual Conference of the Parties otherwise known as the recently convened COP27.
It is understood that the Program will work with Africa’s coastal countries to leverage the opportunities—and manage the risks—inherent in growing their budding Blue Economies.
Summary of the Blue Solutions for Africa
The Blue Economy is at the core of the economic development and competitiveness of Africa’s coastal countries. However, unsustainable infrastructure development, inadequate management of natural habitats and resources, and pollution are threatening their productivity.
Climate change-related events such as sea-level rise, land subsidence, storm surge, and coastal flooding are exacerbating this vulnerability. The challenge today is: How can coastal countries manage their coastal and marine landscapes to spur economic growth and reduce poverty while adapting to the effects of climate change?
Readers wishing to learn more about Africa’s Blue Economy are invited to see a thirteen-page introduction by way of the document here:
Steve Rushbrook never predicted he would become a Harbour Master, let alone in one of the southernmost ports in the world. His career pathway to becoming a Harbour Master for New Zealand’s Otago Regional Council shows what is possible for those with less conventional backgrounds.
As part of the refurbishment for the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, Inland and Coastal Marina Systems (ICMS) has installed a floating concrete breakwater within the Port of Newhaven to provide safe berthing facilities for crew transfer vessels (CTVs).