RESEARCH ON MARINE POLLUTION, PREVENTION, AND RESPONSE IN SHENZHEN, CHINA1
ABSTRACT Shenzhen is situated near Hong Kong. About ten years ago, two harbors, Shekou and Yantian, located in the west and east of Shenzhen respectively, were under construction. Harbors and facilities have been planned by industries, while environmental concerns have been more or less neglected. A “Report of Research on the Feasibility of a Marine Pollution Prevention System for Seaports in Shenzhen” was discussed in May 1993 in Shenzhen. This paper describes the main elements of that program, including an oil spill monitoring and control system, contingency planning for oil spill response, and cooperation among industries and government in dealing with marine pollution. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how concern for the environment should be established from the beginning in constructing a seaport. Finally, the end of this paper presents lessons learned, concerning the financial support of oil pollution response facilities, management problems and their countermeasures, implementation of international conventions on marine pollution prevention, and the importance of port state control. These lessons may be helpful for developing countries in planning their seaports to achieve better environmental protection.