A team from AEA Technology, working closely with local counterparts, has identified a range of emergency scenarios which could lead to a major disaster. These include industrial explosions, floods, a plane crash, a spill of hazardous substances, an influx of refugees, a building collapse, and the sinking of a ferry. The team has written emergency response plans for each scenario, and has prepared an institutional framework which will help the authorities deal with a disaster. The AEA Technology team has also identified the training and legislation which will be needed to develop an effective response plan. A national workshop involving the country s decision makers, the military, the National Environment Agency, emergency services and a team from AEA Technology, will be held shortly, and a major emergency exercise is also due to take place.
Disasters can seriously damage a country s economy.
The Gambia relies heavily on tourism and an oil spill on the beaches could cause serious difficulties. The work that AEA Technology is doing with the Gambian National Environment Agency ties in with the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction which runs from 1990 to the year 2000. The project has been funded with a loan from the World Bank. Gambia s emergency response capabilities will be among the best in Africa.