CEFAS24-133 RFQ for technical advisory services on risk assessment

Tender description

CEFAS24-133 Request for Quotation for technical advisory services on Risk Assessment related to shipping-related pollution in Sri Lanka, under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP). Background: The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) is funded through UK official development assistance (ODA) as part of the UKs Blue Planet Fund. It aims to strengthen marine science expertise, develop science-based policy and management tools, and create educational resources for coastal communities under three main objectives described in terms of marine pollution, sustainable seafood, and marine biodiversity. It supports activities in partnership with country governments directed towards capacity building for marine science in local institutions, organisations and communities. Shipping-related Pollution: Whilst the number of shipping-related pollution incidents has gradually decreased with improvements to ship safety and training over recent decades, the risk of shipping incidents remains. This is due to the rapid expansion of international trade, where there is still the potential for occasional large high-profile incidents to occur through collision and/or grounding, as well as emerging activities such as oil exploration activities and development of petroleum refinery. Spills can include pollutants such as hydrocarbons, plastics, and hazardous and noxious substances. Recent high-profile events such as the MV Wakashio grounding on the outer reef of Mauritius, spilling ~820 tonnes of low sulphur fuel oil into the surrounding environment and the X-press Pearl which caught fire and spilled oil and plastic pellets along the coast of Sri Lanka, demonstrate first-hand the devastating impacts of such incidents. Such incidents can threaten marine biodiversity, world heritage sites and the livelihoods of coastal communities. There is a need to understand the risk posed by spills to inform proactive preparedness for such spills. Compared with other parts the of the world, the capacity of countries in the Indian Ocean region to respond to maritime disasters still remains a challenge. Government agencies are seeking to address this and have taken steps towards reinforcing pollution response capability. Risk Assessments are a useful tool to help understand the relative risks and to support environmental management decision making, and can be used to inform management decisions, based on the assessed risk to ecological and socio-economic marine resources. Requirement: Work Package 1: Risk Assessment Report for Sri Lanka This report will include an assessment of risk of maritime spills and risk to aquatic ecological and socio-economic resources (e.g. commercial fisheries, coastal and marine habitats and species, designated sites, tourism and leisure, marine infrastructure). The Risk Assessment will evaluate data and information from the period 2018 to present to include 2023 data where possible. The desk-based study should include, but is not limited to the following elements: • Executive summary • Introduction, scope, purpose and aim of the document. • Geographical context, mapping important ecological (i.e. Marine and coastal designated areas, species and features of conservation interest, migratory marine mammals, seabirds, turtles, fish spawning and nursey grounds, benthic features and species) and socio-economic marine resources and human activities (i.e. shipping, commercial fisheries, infrastructure, tourism, leisure areas including blue flag beaches) in key regions of Sri Lanka with a focus in higher activity area (i.e. Colombo). • Review of available data on above named marine resources in the form of a data source table, which can also be provided as an annex. • Assessment of relative risk to include: o Vessel traffic analysis (vessel movement, density, speed, navigational hazards, collision risk, grounding risk, and areas to be avoided (i.e. sensitive areas). o Vessel passing though Jehan lanka waters -including vessel traffic separation. o Vessel arriving to Sri Lanka ports. o Oil unloading operation at Colombo two Single Point Buoy Mooring (SPBM) o Oil pipeline from SPBM to Land tank farm o Bunker operation transfer from vessels to the SPBM and subsequently via pipeline to ground-based tanks. o Oil transfer activities (ship to ship) at the Colombo Harbour, including the docking of vessels and pipeline transportation to shore facilities. o Hambantota port terminal and oil tank farm. Trincomalee IOC oil terminal and tank farm. o Norrocholae coal power plant – coal unloading and ship arrival. o Proposed power plant and oil unloading facilities. o Bunker operations which might present specific risks and operational challenges. o Oil transfers from vessels to shore-based tanks at Trincomalee Harbour. o Similar operations at Hambantota Port, involving transfers from vessels to shore-based tanks. • Method for calculating risk (i.e. Risk Matrix), to include evaluation of likelihood and impact/consequence. Risk assessment analysis to include relative risk and exposure to aquatic marine resources, including considering key coastal areas. • Numerical modelling (stochastic modelling would be preferred) using scenarios to calculate probability of risk and likelihood of exposure/consequence to marine resources. To include (i.e. winds, currents) forcing data for models. • A range of probability maps demonstrating the outputs and highlighting high risk areas and those marine resources most at risk of harm. • Conclusions and management recommendations. • References • Annexes of relevant information, list of sources (data/metadata/evidence and information). A concise, high level report card is to be produced alongside the report, that will highlight the main key messages of the risk assessment. PLEASE NOTE: Cefas will not be providing the data or information required for the completion of this work. It is the responsibility of the Supplier to source and access this. Your approach must be outline in your bid submission. The Supplier is required to lead on the preparation and production of the report and high-level report card with input and review by the OCPP team. The template for the report card and the required report length will be agreed with the OCPP team. For the delivery of this work, the Supplier will be required to attend: • A kick-off meeting following the contract finalisation. • Regularly occurring progress meetings during the delivery phase with OCPP personnel (and any key stakeholders). The frequency to be agreed with the OCPP lead. • A close-out meeting with the OCPP personnel to agree final hand-over and close out of all of the contractual deliverables. It is expected that all the meetings will be undertaken virtually using virtual meeting software. Deliverables: 1. First draft of the report, in a Word document format. To be delivered by 27th December 2024. 2. A PowerPoint presentation to be orally recorded and delivered as part of the outputs highlighting the findings of the report, maximum 30 minutes. To be delivered by 28th February 2024. 3. Final Draft of the report in a Word document format. To be delivered by 28th February 2025. 4. A concise high-level report card (as a word document and/or PDF) highlighting the key messages of the assessment, is to be produced alongside the report. To be delivered by 28th February 2025. 5. Data products, outputs and metadata from the modelling and Geographic Information System mapping. To be delivered by 28th February 2025. It is expected that the winning Supplier will collaborate with the OCPP team and relevant key stakeholders. The Supplier should make use of local knowledge and local/regional delivery teams where possible for the completion of the contracted work.