There has been some success

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1 Surveying Hydrography in Africa by Captain Abri Kampfer, Hydrographer SA Navy The International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) and many member states of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) have spent significant time, human and financial resources in attempting to raise the awareness of the African coastal states on the fundamental importance of hydrography to their sustainable development, on the one hand, and their obligation to international shipping through their adherence to the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), on the other. There has been some success but one has to realise that there are other dire needs for funding. While there is drought, famine and aids, charting would have a low priority and capacity building in various forms will be required to improve the situation. The IHO has realised this and this aspect will be very high on the agenda for the future. The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) Despite the advances of the industrial revolution, by the dawn of the 20th century, going to sea in ships remained a very hazardous endeavour. Following several maritime and navigation conferences during the period, a hydrographic conference, convened in London in 1919, proposed the establishment of an international bureau to ensure effective and continuous cooperation amongst national hydrographic offices. On 21 June 1921 the eighteen founding member states approved the statutes and directions that established the IHB. In 1967, the convention of the IHO was adopted as an intergovernmental, and consultative organisation. In 2005, amendments to the 1967 convention were approved and are undergoing ratification by the member states. The objectives of the IHO contained in the 2005 amended convention embrace the global nature of hydrography and the broad application of hydrographic data to ensure protection of the marine environment and sustainable development, as well as the uniformity, competency, coordination and cooperation objectives of the earlier versions. The organisation currently has a membership of eighty maritime states, with several others in the process of becoming members. A glaring issue is the significant under-representation of African coastal states as members of the organisation. The current structure of the organisation has the convening of member states at a conference as the decision-making body, the IHB performing executive secretarial functions, a number of committees and working groups dealing with and policy matters and regional hydrographic commissions (RHCs) focusing on coordination issues. The recently approved, but not ratified, amendments to the convention will change the structure but clearly the same function must be performed. Of importance is that the RHCs are retained and will play a central role in the organisation. There are sixteen RHCs with the operative RHCs for this region being the Mediterranean and Black Sea Hydrographic Commission for the states of northern Africa, the East Atlantic Hydrographic Commission for the states in western Africa and the Atlantic Island states, the Southern Africa and Islands Hydrographic Commission for southern Africa, eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Island states; and the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission that includes the African states on the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and northern Indian Ocean. Fig. 1: International Hydrographic Bureau building, Monaco. These commissions meet every one to two years to discuss regional coordination issues, to develop regional positions on IHO issues and, of particular importance to Africa, to propose capacity building initiatives for adoption by the IHO Capacity Building Committee. RHC meetings are open to 20 PositionIT - Sept/Oct 2008

2 Fig. 2: African regional hydrographic commissions (RHCs). all states in the region IHO member or not. Unfortunately, attendance by non-iho member states, even when expenses are defrayed by other IHO member states, is infrequent. The importance of hydrography From its beginnings, hydrography has been employed primarily to support safety of navigation. Initially, the pilot or master closely guarded hydrographic data for his own use but the staggering loss of life and impact on commerce due to inadequate navigational information lead to the founding of the IHB in 1921 and a movement to more openly share hydrographic information for the universal protection of life at sea. Recent regulations have gone beyond encouraging the sharing of data to the requirement for coastal states to collect, produce and distribute hydrographic information. In July 2002, changes to Chapter V of the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS V) came into force. Three distinct points within Chapter V are of critical importance to hydrographers: Regulation 4 requires that each contracting government: Shall take all steps necessary to ensure that, when intelligence of any dangers is received from whatever reliable source, it shall be promptly brought to the knowledge of those concerned and communicated to other interested governments. Regulation 9 requires that contracting governments: Undertake to arrange for the collection and compilation of hydrographic data and the publication, dissemination and keeping up to date of all nautical information necessary for safe navigation. Additionally, contracting governments should: Take into account, whenever possible, relevant international resolutions and recommendations adopted by the IHO to achieve the greatest uniformity and standardisation in collection techniques, data management and product display, and Undertake to coordinate their activities to the greatest degree in order to ensure that hydrographic and nautical information is made available on a worldwide scale as timely, reliably and unambiguously as possible. Thus meeting the SOLAS obligation is best met through membership and active participation in the workings of the IHO. The IHO views the satisfaction of the first two bullets in three distinct phases. Phase I is the least complex yet essential component that provides for the collection and circulation of nautical information necessary to provide navigation warnings and to maintain existing charts and publications up to date. Phase II is the creation of a survey capability to conduct coastal projects and offshore projects. Phase III is the production of charts and publications. The status of hydrography in Africa Fundamental to satisfying many of the objectives of the IHO is a current and complete understanding of the status of hydrography and charting throughout the world. IHO Special Publication (S-55) The Status of Hydrographic Surveying and Nautical Charting, Worldwide has undergone extensive updating in the last few years. The analysis of this publication forms the basis for capacity building projects and chart production stimuli. Despite significant efforts to assemble a complete and accurate status, a few states failed to respond to requests for information and there may be inaccuracies in the data deduced by the IHB in the absence of a response. That maritime affairs are fundamental to the interests of coastal African states is demonstrated by the nearly universal membership of coastal African states in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Unfortunately, membership in the IHO does not have the same universal acceptance. Clearly, much improvement can be realised through membership in the IHO and in active participation in the appropriate RHC. Restating the earlier point that participation in a RHC is open to all states in the region. While several African states have joined a RHC as associate members, their attendance at the meetings is infrequent. Fig. 3: South African Navy Hydrographic Office, Cape Town. An essential early management action to introduce, phase I, II, and III is the formation of a national hydrographic committee (NHC), a forum where all the stakeholders in the collection and use of hydrographic data meet to discuss requirements, capabilities, priorities and responsibilities. Several 22 PositionIT - Sept/Oct 2008

3 the required nautical publications and charts. While a certain level of cartographic expertise is highly desirable, attaining a fully-fledged publishing capacity represents a large investment in manpower, training and equipment. Satisfying this capability through commercial or bi-lateral arrangements is the most expeditious and effective solution for all but the most developed and well-resourced hydrographic office. Status of nautical charting Fig. 4:Traditional paper chart. Fig. 5: Electronic navigational chart (ENC). African states have signalled intent to form a NHC but few have actually convened these committees and their effectiveness has yet to be determined. Attaining a full phase I capability, to be able to collect and disseminate nautical information necessary for safety of navigation and to keep charts and publications up-to-date, is an essential first step in developing a hydrographic capability. SOLAS V requires the prompt reception and redistribution of critical safety of navigation information as nautical information that is not kept up-to-date can quickly become useless if not hazardous. Few African states have fully attained this capability. The ability to conduct coastal and offshore hydrographic projects a phase II capability is important to the development of an effective hydrographic service. It also represents a significant investment in manpower, training and equipment. For this reason, in the early development of a state s hydrographic capability this phase may best be accomplished through bilateral agreements with other states or through outsourcing to private survey companies. It is, however, important to train and exercise a cadre of government personnel to administer such outsourced activities. As the hydrographic capability matures the ability to conduct at least limited coastal and offshore projects should be pursued. A phase III capability is signified by the ability to publish, in-house, IHO Special Publication (S-55) The Status of Hydrographic Surveying and Nautical Charting, Worldwide provides a high level summary that can be misinterpreted if a background understanding is not applied. The status of charting in Africa, does not paint a picture of grave concern. By and large, international (INT) charts (a portfolio of paper charts that conform to a schema established by the IHO to facilitate international shipping) are available at the appropriate scales for Africa. However, it must be stressed that the vast majority of these charts date to colonial times and should be used with extreme caution. Looking at the availability of electronic navigational charts (ENCs) (those charts that when used in an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) meet the chart carriage requirement set forth in SOLAS), offshore passages are partially covered but, again, these electronic charts are usually digital versions of old, frequently colonial era, paper charts. There is virtually no ENC coverage for coastal passages, approaches to ports and harbours. The conversion of the existing coastal, approach and harbour charts to ENCs is problematic and would, in most cases require new surveys. Most African states do not have the capacity to perform these new surveys without substantial assistance. Status of hydrographic surveys The conducting of hydrographic surveys with modern equipment and techniques to the standards set by the IHO is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Substantial advances in depth sounding and positioning have occurred in the last two decades; therefore, surveys conducted before the 1980s should be reviewed and are probably in need of updating. The majority of the surveys of coastal African states are in PositionIT - Sept/Oct

4 Fig. 6: SA Navy survey vessel SAS Protea. need of updating and large areas have never been systematically surveyed. Status of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) The implementation of GMDSS in Africa is extremely poor and a matter that should be addressed with some urgency. Most African states have attained only the ability to communicate important information within their main ports with little or no offshore capability. An option for providing an offshore capability is to establish an agreement and communication link with the appropriate NAVAREA coordinator (geographic areas for which governments are responsible for navigation and weather warnings) to transmit important information to the mariner through NAVTEX (navigational telex) or SafetyNET (satellite). Capacity building in Africa Clearly supported by the analysis of S-55 and understandable from a cursory examination of global economic development, large numbers of coastal African states require significant assistance in building the capacity to provide the mariner with adequate nautical information while operating in waters adjacent to their coasts. The IHO is addressing these needs on several fronts. The IHO Capacity Building Committee (CBC) has developed strategies that will ensure the greatest impact from the resources available. The CBC is assessing and prioritising the global hydrographic needs and developing realisable projects for IHO support and implementation. While small, targeted projects are executed from the internal funds of the IHO, larger projects capitalise on existing international partnerships that can secure funding from international donor agencies. On 21 June 2008, the IHO celebrated the third annual World Hydrography Day (WHD). The theme for the 2008 celebrations was Capacity Building, a vital tool to assist the IHO in achieving its mission and objectives. Capacity building is a key priority for the IHO and the WHD celebrations highlighted the IHO s commitment to supporting technology and skills transfer between established and newly developing hydrographic offices in the interests of enhancing global navigational safety, maritime trade and protection of the environment. OPERATOR SELECTION SELECT Geographical area SUPPRESS Unwanted Optional Information RECEIVER 518 khz MICRO-PROCESSOR DECODER PRINTER AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS ASSESS Signal quality COMPARE with memory REJECT inadequate/unwanted messages OPERATOR INPUT OPTIONS POSITION ADDITIONAL NAVAREA/METAREA COASTAL WARNING AREA COASTAL WARNING SERVICE FIXED POSITIONS ROUTING OF EGC MESSAGES ENHANCED GROUP CALL (EGC) RECEIVER RECEPTION DECODING DECISION PRINTING AUTOMATED FUNCTIONS POSITION COMPARISON ASSESS DATA ERROR RATE REJECT INADEQUATE/IRRELEVANT MESSAGE SUPRESS ALREADY RECEIVED MESSAGES PRINT DECISION Fig. 7: Maritime Safety Information (MSI) communication network. 24 PositionIT - Sept/Oct 2008

5 One example of an internal IHO capacity building project is the West Africa action team that has performed assessments of sixteen West African countries capacity to provide nautical information. In the current phase of this project, workshops have been completed to build awareness of the obligation these countries have to provide such information and to develop plans that will lead to the initial steps toward fulfilling these obligations. Follow-on visits and additional workshops are ongoing. Similarly, under the Southern Africa and Islands Hydrographic Commission as a RHC, assessment visits have been conducted in southern and eastern Africa, including the Indian Ocean islands. The first MSI training course Fig. 9: MSI training course. Fig. 10: Hydrographic survey course. was held in Mozambique, Maputo in November Additional follow-on visits to assist in survey prioritisation are scheduled for The IHO in concert with several other international organisations (i.e. International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), International Association of Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), etc.) have developed regional capacity building projects that are seeking or have received funding from donor agencies. Examples of these initiatives include Western Indian Ocean Marine Highway Development in the Mozambique Channel and the Safety of Navigation on Lake Victoria Project. The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans Project (GEBCO), a joint IHO IOC endeavour, has entered into an agreement with the Nippon Foundation to provide a postgraduate diploma and follow-on fellowships in ocean mapping. Successful candidates will enhance the future of ocean mapping and priority will be given to regions most in need of building this capacity. To date, candidates from Nigeria and Kenya have completed the educational phase of this program. Beyond the support offered by the IHO as an organisation, numerous member states of the IHO have bilateral agreements with African states for hydrographic assistance and training. Conclusion African coastal states must realise their obligations under SOLAS to provide for the safety of navigation of mariners operating in their national waters. This obligation includes the collection and distribution of safety of navigation; the collection and compilation of hydrographic data; and the publication, dissemination and keeping up-to-date of nautical information necessary for safety of navigation. Constituting a NHC will assist in addressing the responsibilities, authority, communication mechanisms and coordination of the various activities concerned with safety of navigation within the state. Participation in the appropriate RHC will allow for the addressing of their capacity building needs by the IHO where they can then avail themselves of the numerous capacity building activities of the IHO and the bilateral cooperative arrangements of several IHO member states. The improvement of hydrographic services in Africa requires the commitment of the coastal states to adequately resource this endeavour, but the return in the sustainable development of the region will be substantial and enduring. Readers who are interested in learning more about the world of hydrography are invited to visit the IHO web site at Contact Captain Abri Kampfer, SA Navy, Tel , hydrosan@iafrica.com, 26 PositionIT - Sept/Oct 2008