5-7 September: Workshop on Natural Hazard Triggered Technological Accidents

Natural hazards can trigger extensive damage to chemical plants. Uncontrolled release of hazardous substances, fire, and explosions endanger people and pollute the environment. Such Natural Hazard Triggered Technological Accidents are the focus of a workshop in Potsdam, organized by adelphi.

Natural disasters often cause destruction on a massive scale. The risk is particularly high when such natural disasters cause accidents in technical installations that handle dangerous substances. In addition to damages in the infrastructure, toxic, flammable, and explosive substances may leak into the environment. Emergency services may need to extinguish burning refineries that have sustained heavy damage, and the environment could suffer from the release of toxicants. Flooded chemical storage units or destroyed oil tanks are merely two examples of such Natural Hazard Triggered Technological Accidents, so-called Natechs.

Natechs are the focus of an international UN/OECD workshop taking place from 5 to 7 September 2018 in Potsdam, Germany. 

The overall objective of the workshop is the exchange of information between industry, authorities, other stakeholders, and science among OECD Member and Non-Member countries. The focus shall be on presenting good practice examples that show how Natech risks can be better considered in risk management, emergency planning, disaster management, climate change adaptation, and risk communication. Furthermore, recommendations and guidance concerning Natech prevention and Natech risk management in the light of sustainable development, disaster risks reduction, and climate change adaptation shall be developed. It will be important to view such action in light of international frames such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and targets, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the second addendum to the OECD Guiding Principles for chemical accident prevention, preparedness and response (Natech-Addendum).

The participation in the workshop is free of charge; there will be no reimbursement of travelling costs. Travel arrangements shall be done by the participants. The language of the Workshop will be English.

The 2018 Natech Risk Management Workshop will be convened jointly by the OECD Working Group on Chemical Accidents, the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit (JEU) as well as the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Ministry of Rural Development, the Environment and Agriculture of Brandenburg and the German Environment Agency (UBA).