African states have been praised in working together towards meeting international environmental targets by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s director general at the fourth meeting of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA).

Speaking at the meeting with the theme ‘Protecting the African Marine Environment to Support Sustainable Development’, Peter Brady said that the collective thinking and joint responsibility approach taken by the AAMA, which has stakeholders across the industry including port representatives, has helped sustainable development across Africa.

Mr Brady said that the “safety and security of shipping along with the need for its very high environmental requirements and efficiency, serve to guarantee the sustainable aspects of the business as the world marches towards the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.”

Education important

The meeting programme addressed topics including the importance of education and training for protecting the African marine environment to support sustainable development; inclusion of gender mainstreaming as it relates to African women in the maritime sector; and the impact of marine litter, especially plastics, on the marine environment.

Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) is currently striving to reduce pollution levels at Dar es Salaam through an expansion and rehabilitation initiative, while South Africa’s Port Elizabeth Harbour is running an environmental protection programme which boasts an outstanding waste management plan.

In August, the Ministry of Works & Transport (MOWT) of Uganda and the Port Management Association of Eastern & Southern Africa (PMAESA) hosted a technical forum which looked at supplementing land-based transport with water-based transport with the aim of reducing pressure on roads and alleviating environmental degradation.