MUNIMAP Project Aims to Tackle Munitions Contamination in the Baltic Sea
A new project, MUNIMAP, has been launched to address the threat of dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak, aiming to accelerate and coordinate remediation efforts at the BSR level. The CBSS is partnering in this Interreg-financed project.
In an effort to address the persistent threat posed by dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak, the recently launched MUNIMAP project, or Baltic Sea Munition Remediation Roadmap, has embarked on a crucial mission to activate, speed up and coordinate the Baltic Sea munitions remediation.
The CBSS is a partner in this Interreg-financed project, which will have its kick-off meeting on 20-22 February 2024 in Sopot, Poland. The lead partner is the Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences (IO PAN). In the project, the CBSS is tasked with handling communication and policy dialogue.
Other notable partners in the larger project consortium that includes members from Denmark, Germany, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Norway are the German Environment Agency (UBA), the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), the International Centre for Chemical Safety and Security (ICCSS) and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI).
The Baltic Sea Region continues to grapple with the aftermath of chemical and conventional munitions dumped in its waters after the Second World War, posing a serious threat to the marine ecosystem and endangering maritime economic activities.
Authorities responsible for marine area management face numerous challenges in remediating these munitions, navigating unclear legal frameworks, and often lacking the necessary resources and official mandates. National discussions and remediation efforts are currently also at different stages across the Baltic Sea Region.
Based on the outcomes of previous successful Interreg projects dealing with dumped munitions, MUNIMAP aims to catalyse, accelerate, and coordinate these national processes by establishing a modular roadmap tailored to each country’s unique challenges.
The roadmap, designed to be adaptable to individual country contexts, encompasses key elements such as policy development, administration, site selection, monitoring, and remediation methods. These components will be collaboratively developed and tested in conjunction with target user groups.
The complex process of managing submerged munitions involves minimising their impact on the environment. MUNIMAP therefore further aims to provide authorities with the best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for safe and environmentally friendly remediation.
The MUNIMAP project will run for a period of 36 months.