The South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP), completed the SACEP Symposium held from 18-22 November in Colombo. 

The symposium included in-person participation from five of the SACEP countries within the region. This event brought together marine pollution response experts, government officials, and regional stakeholders to strengthen South Asia's preparedness and response to marine pollution incidents. 

On day one, participants reviewed the current state of the SACEP framework, with country specific updates from Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and a roundtable exercise on lessons learned from national efforts. Day two focused on regional collaboration, with sessions on international conventions, case studies from the Bonn Agreement, and regional response exercises. Day three was a technical deep dive into the marine pollution response which covered dispersants, spill (chemical and oil) modelling, compensation, and waste management strategies. Day four featured a review of the South Asia Regional Plan, with group exercises to address gaps and build a roadmap for better readiness. Day five concluded with a practical deployment exercise led by the Marine Environment Protection Authority and the Coast Guard, showcasing specialist emergency response equipment in-situ within harbour and beach environments.