{"id":3357,"date":"2015-01-09T11:33:24","date_gmt":"2015-01-09T11:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=3357"},"modified":"2015-01-09T11:33:24","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T11:33:24","slug":"uk-dispatches-expert-to-clean-up-sundarban-oil-spill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/uk-dispatches-expert-to-clean-up-sundarban-oil-spill\/","title":{"rendered":"UK dispatches expert to clean up Sundarban oil-spill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Gibson\"<\/a>The UK government has dispatched an expert to support the oil-spill clean-up in the Sundarbans, a UNESCO world heritage site.
\nBritish High Commission in Dhaka said Mark Whittington arrived on Wednesday at the request of the UN and the Bangladesh government.
\nIt says in a media release that Whittington is an expert of the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited and has dealt with shipping accidents around the world.
\nHe advises and supports the design of contingency plans related to accidental pollution from ships.
\nHe also has extensive expertise about cleaning up operations in mangroves.
\nMore than 350,000 litres of furnace oil spilled into the Shela River after a tanker capsized on Dec 9. The incident drew global attention.
\nA UN team visited the spot and later in a report said it was \u201ca wakeup call\u201d and that \u201cthe immediate environmental impact on the mangrove and aquatic ecosystems is limited\u201d.
\nThe team suggested closing the Shela river route for commercial traffic.
\nWhittington will work with the government of Bangladesh and UN to implement recommendations made by the team.
\nBritish High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Gibson says he was \u201cpleased that the UK can provide support with the expertise of Mark to assist the Bangladesh government in tackling the disaster\u201d.
\n\u201cThe Sundarban is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is very special to the people of Bangladesh and we are all responsible to protect it,\u201d he was quoted as saying in the media release.
\n\u201cThis is a clear example of the UK\u2019s ongoing support to the government of Bangladesh for coordinated planning and response to disasters,\u201d he said.
\nUK is one of the largest bilateral donors in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n

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