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Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI Global: Here’s how to create a more nature-literate society

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Seirian Sumner, Professor of Behavioural Ecology, UCL

    stuartjames worcs/Shutterstock

    Spring is the time of year when my friends remember what a strange job I have, because a stripy insect has just appeared in their kitchen and they are panicking. “It’s huge!” one squeals. “Help! What do I do? I swear it’s that murder hornet I saw on social media.”

    I explain to my friend that this is a common wasp queen, freshly emerged from hibernation. She’s lost 40% of her body weight and needs sugar. She will soon build a nest – using wood from my friend’s garden fence – lay eggs and rear them to adulthood by feeding them caterpillars, flies, aphids and spiders. If she survives, she might lay 10,000 eggs through the summer producing 10,000 worker wasps that will hunt more of these so-called pests and pollinate plants in my friend’s garden.

    By now, my friend is offering the wasp some honey. As he watches her feed and fly away, he is contemplating the benefits that this single insect will bring to his garden this summer.

    My friend is not unusual: like many people, he lacks the words to describe nature and knowledge to name it. Without such nature literacy, is it any wonder that many people don’t know how to care for the natural world or why we should bother?

    Humans are more disconnected from nature than ever, partly because technology means we have fewer reasons to spend time in nature – this is what ecologists call the “extinction of experience”. Fewer than half of UK adults feel highly connected with nature; most children can’t identify stinging nettles, bumblebees or robins. People don’t understand what the term natural history means or why it matters.

    I witnessed this recently while lecturing. In a class survey, my bioscience students summed up natural history as: “old Victorian gentlemen”, “museums”, “dinosaurs” and “old-fashioned”. They also rated natural history as not relevant or of little relevance to their degree programmes, with only a few people rating it as quite or very important.

    We weren’t always like this. Natural history is the study of nature: it is the oldest science. Natural selection ensured that early humans were brilliant naturalists, in order to find food and not become food. Nature inspired some of our most influential scientists, from Aristotle to Charles Darwin.

    Non-biologists were also deeply influenced by nature. In the words of physicist Albert Einstein: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” English mathematician Isaac Newton considered himself “a natural philosopher” – only the nature-curious would bother watching an apple fall.

    Having the language to name and describe nature is a gateway to curiosity-driven innovation, creativity and discovery. This matters because our food, health and wellbeing, innovations and creativity depend on observation, curiosity and understanding of the natural world. From termite-mound inspired air-conditioning technology to burr-mimicking Velcro, and ant-led town planning.

    Without noticing how nature has solved problems and without the ability to name, recognise and share the source with others in order to replicate the observations, none of these breakthroughs would have happened. Where will our next innovations come from, if we’ve lost the inclination and ability to notice, name and know nature?

    Knowledge about nature also makes us more pro-environmental and more likely to make planet-friendly decisions. This is critical as we continue to exceed planetary boundaries, driving climate change and nature loss. As things stand, our continuing divorce from nature means that the next generation are ill equipped for the future. Nature literacy helps us reconnect and make the right decisions.

    Growing nature literacy

    Becoming a nature-literate society starts with three key steps.

    1. Notice. Relearn how to be deliciously distracted by nature, curious about the ordinary, and redevelop the sense of awe and wonder that has inspired science, innovation and the arts for centuries.

    2. Name. Embrace the joys of learning to name nature. Can you tell a beech tree from an oak? A bee-fly from a bumble-bee? By being able to name something, we develop a connection with it and crave knowledge about it – be it for wasps or weeds.

    3. Nurture. With names and knowledge come care, responsibility and the determination to take action to protect nature, such that future generations have the biodiversity needed for future learning and inspiration.

    Have you ever seen an elephant hawkmoth caterpillar?
    Simon T May/Shutterstock

    Noticing and naming nature means we’re more likely to nurture it. Sharing our nature knowledge with others helps nudge the nature literacy agenda from below the boots of old Victorian gentlemen and into the 21st century. Even when that bit of nature involves gorgeous wasps.



    Read more:
    A new natural history GCSE is welcome – but climate change needs to be part of the whole curriculum

    And after 11 years of campaigning, environmentalist and author Mary Colwell has nudged nature literacy on to the agenda of the UK government with the approval of an examination-level qualification for secondary school children – the natural history GCSE. This is an important first step forward in shifting the baseline of nature literacy among the next generation in the UK.

    But nature literacy needs to become much more embedded across society. Nature-based jobs are the future. In industry and academia, tech startups and government, frontline roles are now focusing on “green” or “nature-based” jobs to deliver the nature-based solutions needed for a sustainable future. Demands for these jobs is booming, but the the lack of necessary nature-literacy skills is well-recognised. A recent report identified biodiversity knowledge as the most important technical skill identified by nature-based solutions employers globally.

    We need to shift cultural norms and societal expectations so that nature literacy is taught and valued by everyone – not just ecologists. Government and educators owe the future of our planet a nature-literate workforce.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Seirian Sumner receives funding from the UK government’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). She is a Trustee and Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, and author of the book ‘Endless Forms: Why We Should Love Wasps’

    – ref. Here’s how to create a more nature-literate society – https://theconversation.com/heres-how-to-create-a-more-nature-literate-society-253373

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Detailed breakdown of EU funding for nature conservation in Tanzania from 2014 to the present – E-001130/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001130/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Carola Rackete (The Left)

    In May 2024, the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA) expressed concerns to the Commission about the EU’s call for proposals to the Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Community Livelihoods: Eastern Rift Savannahs and Watersheds component of its NaturAfrica initiative. The MISA claims that it is impossible to guarantee the implementation of an approach based on human rights in the current Tanzanian context.

    In June 2024, the Commission removed Tanzania from the list of countries eligible for its EUR 18 million Eastern Rift Savannahs and Watersheds conservation grant.

    Will the Commission provide, in tabular form, details of all EU funding for nature or biodiversity conservation in Tanzania for each year from January 2014 to the present, including the total amount of EU funding for nature conservation in Tanzania for each year, a breakdown of funding amounts per EU initiative or financial instrument for each year, the recipients of the funding and the total amount received each year by each recipient?

    Submitted: 18.3.2025

    Last updated: 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Establishing a nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission control area in the Mediterranean – E-000548/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. According to the European Maritime Transport Environmental report[1], which is cross-referred by the 2nd Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report[2], Sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions in the EU have dropped by about 70% since 2014, largely due to the introduction of SOx Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in Northern EU[3]. The new Mediterranean SOx ECA, set to take effect on 1 May 2025, will deliver further reductions together with the one upcoming in the North-East Atlantic Ocean[4]. Meanwhile, also in line the 4th Clean Air Outlook[5], Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions rose by an average of 10% between 2015 and 2023: NOx increased by 33% and 8% in the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins and decreased by 17%, 7% and 6% in the North, Black and Baltic Seas, respectively. NOx ECAs in Northern EU have proved useful in controlling NOx and their extension to EU waters could prevent to surpass NOx from land sources by 2030[6].

    This is why, to protect public health and the environment, the Commission and the Mediterranean States are working on cost and benefits analysis (CBA) for a NOx ECA under the Barcelona Convention[7].

    2. The parties to the Barcelona Convention will note the ongoing CBAs at their 24th Conference in December 2025; they will decide on the Med NOx ECA at later sessions. The Commission has been consistently stressing the urgency of regulating and enforcing NOx from ships in the Mediterranean. However, decisions in the region are complex given the high number of States and stakeholders involved and their socioeconomic differences[8].

    In line with the EU’s Zero Pollution[9], and One Health[10] ambitions, the Commission will continue engaging at all levels to further reduce NOx from ships.

    • [1] https://emsa.europa.eu/emter-2025/full-report.html
    • [2] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/zero-pollution-monitoring-and-outlook-report
    • [3] The request of the North East Atlantic ECA designation (controlling both SOx and Nitrogen oxides (NOx)) by the EU and non-EU littoral States for both SOx and NOx will be discussed at IMO this year; it will likely enter into force in 2027. Non-EU States are: United Kingdom, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland.
    • [4] ECAs for both SOx and NOx have also been established in the North and the Baltic Sea IMO under Annex VI to MARPOL Convention in early 2000 and 2021 respectively. NOx control applies to new builds.
    • [5] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/air/clean-air-outlook_en
    • [6] https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/15729/1/RR-18-002.pdf
    • [7] https://www.unep.org/unepmap/who-we-are/barcelona-convention-and-protocols
    • [8] For example, the decision to control SOx in the Mediterranean region took about 10 years and required massive engagement from the EU at all levels, led by the Commission.
    • [9] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en
    • [10] https://health.ec.europa.eu/one-health_en
    Last updated: 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Guidelines for the 2026 budget – Section III – P10_TA(2025)0051 – Wednesday, 2 April 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

    –  having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

    –  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027(1) and to the joint declaration agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission in this context(2) and the related unilateral declarations(3),

    –  having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(4),

    –  having regard to the Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(5) (MFF Revision),

    –  having regard to its position of 16 December 2020 on the draft Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(6),

    –  having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2022 on upscaling the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework: a resilient EU budget fit for new challenges(7),

    –  having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027(8),

    –  having regard to its resolution of 27 February 2024 on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027(9),

    –  having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom(10),

    –  having regard to the Commission proposal of 22 December 2021 for a Council decision amending Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 on the system of own resources of the European Union (COM(2021)0570) and its position of 23 November 2022 on the proposal(11),

    –  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast)(12) (the Financial Regulation),

    –  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’)(13),

    –  having regard to the EU’s obligations under the Paris Agreement and its commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

    –  having regard to the EU gender equality strategy 2020-2025,

    –  having regard to its resolution of 10 May 2023 on the impact on the 2024 EU budget of increasing European Union Recovery Instrument borrowing costs(14),

    –  having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget(15),

    –  having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources(16),

    –  having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights(17) of 13 December 2017,

    –  having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025(18) and the joint statements agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed hereto,

    –  having regard to Enrico Letta’s report entitled ‘Much more than a market’, presented in the European Parliament on 21 October 2024,

    –  having regard to Mario Draghi’s report entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’, presented in the European Parliament on 17 September 2024,

    –  having regard to Sauli Niinistö’s report entitled ‘Safer together – Strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness’, presented in the European Parliament on 14 November 2024,

    –  having regard to the presentation of the EU Competitiveness Compass by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 29 January 2025,

    –  having regard to the joint white paper of 19 March 2025 for European Defence Readiness providing a framework for the ReArm Europe plan (JOIN(2025)0120),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation’ (COM(2025)0085),

    –  having regard to the proposal of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2025 amending Regulations (EU) 2015/1017, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695 and (EU) 2021/1153 as regards increasing the efficiency of the EU guarantee under Regulation (EU) 2021/523 and simplifying reporting requirements (COM(2025)0084),

    –  having regard to the Council conclusions of 18 February 2025 on the budget guidelines for 2026,

    –  having regard to Rule 95 of its Rules of Procedure,

    –  having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Regional Development and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

    –  having regard to the letters from the Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, the Committee on Culture and Education and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,

    –  having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0042/2025),

    Budget 2026: building a resilient, sustainable and prosperous future for Europe

    1.  Highlights the anticipated economic growth projected for 2025 and 2026 within the EU(19), accompanied by an easing of inflation; notes nonetheless the uncertainties stemming from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which directly threatens the security of the EU, and the worsening effects of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, also manifested in the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, which are compounded by new significant geopolitical changes and a deteriorating international rules-based order, heightened security threats and a rise in global protectionism; emphasises that, in such an increasingly volatile landscape, it is imperative for the EU to enhance its defence and security capabilities, social, economic and territorial cohesion and political and strategic autonomy, decrease its dependence, increase its competitiveness and ensure a prosperous future for the continent and its people, who are currently facing an increasingly high cost of living;

    2.  Is determined to ensure that the 2026 budget, by focusing on strategic preparedness and security, economic competitiveness and resilience, sustainability, climate, as well as strengthening the single market, provides the people in the EU with a robust ecosystem and delivers on their priorities, thus reinforcing a socially just and prosperous Europe; underlines the need for additional investment in security and defence, research, innovation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), health, energy, migration, as well as land and maritime border protection, inclusive digital and green transitions, job creation, and the provision of opportunities for young people; insists that this be accompanied by administrative simplification, as indicated in the Competitiveness Compass; insists that the EU budget is the largest investment instrument with leverage effect, complementing national budgets and therefore enabling the EU to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world while ensuring prosperity, social cohesion and stability for its people; is strongly of the opinion that the EU should use this leverage effect to the maximum degree to boost the Union’s objectives and policymaking, as well as private investment;

    Investing in a solid, sustainable and resilient economy

    3.  Is adamant that sound economic resilience and sustainability can be achieved in the EU by boosting public and private investment, increasing innovation and supporting competitiveness, including by addressing the skills gap and fostering more industrial production in Europe as a source for robust economic growth and quality jobs, and thereby guaranteeing the Union’s strategic autonomy, ensuring that the EU remains agile and self-reliant in the face of global challenges, disruptions and volatility; highlights the need to promote innovation, prioritise education, reduce costs and the administrative burden, and strengthen the single market, particularly as regards services;

    4.  Reaffirms, in this regard, that research and innovation remain crucial for the EU’s success in cutting-edge industries and new clean and sustainable technologies; recalls the long-standing goal of increasing research and innovation investment to 3 % of gross domestic product (GDP); calls, therefore, for increased funding to be provided under Horizon Europe to fund at least 50 % of all excellent proposals in all scientific disciplines, enable researchers as well as companies, especially SMEs, to bring new developments to the market, and to scale up, ensure solid economic growth and boost the Union’s competitiveness in the global economy, thereby preventing actors from leaving for competing regions while also ensuring that Europe has the knowledge base it needs to pursue the Green Deal commitments;

    5.  Highlights the importance of targeted support in encouraging public-private partnerships and accessible and increased financing to support SMEs as the backbone of the European economy and a vector for pioneering innovation, emphasising the role of the European Innovation Council, InvestEU and the SME component of the single market programme in empowering start-ups and scale-ups of innovative companies, supporting them in their growth and contributing to a greater role for the EU economy on the global stage; expresses its concern that, according to the interim evaluation of InvestEU, envelopes for many financial products may run out by the end of 2025 without budgetary reinforcements; takes note of the Commission proposal in this regard; underlines, furthermore, the importance of the single market programme to leverage the full potential of the EU’s cross-border dimension;

    6.  Stresses that the modernisation of the economy will require blending public and private investment; emphasises, in this regard, the necessity of private investments to maximise the leverage effect of public spending; recalls that these efforts should lead to simplification and reduce the financial burden for the EU’s SMEs while maintaining EU standards;

    7.  Underscores the urgency of further accelerating the digital and green transitions as catalysts for a future-oriented and resource-efficient economy that remains attractive for innovative businesses and that is based on market-driven investments providing quality jobs and leaving no one behind; advocates substantial investment in forward-looking digital infrastructure, underpinned by well-regulated, human-centred and trustworthy artificial intelligence and cybersecurity; stresses the need to improve citizens’ basic digital skills to match the needs of companies and to equip citizens to counter disinformation; stresses, further, the need to increase the resilience of the Union’s democracy in fighting malign foreign interference;

    8.  Recognises the strategic value of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for contributing to the economic, social and climate goals of the EU’s cross-border transport infrastructure; calls for network extensions, particularly towards candidate countries and the EU’s strategic partners, as regards the EU’s sustainable and smart mobility strategy and the complementarities between the TEN-T and the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E);

    A better-prepared Union, capable of effectively responding to crises

    9.  Underlines the need to enhance EU security and defence capabilities to create a genuine defence union and to better prepare for and respond to unprecedented geopolitical challenges and new hybrid security threats; stresses the essential role of common investment, research, production and procurement mechanisms, including in new disruptive technologies supporting an independent EU defence industry; considers that there is an EU added value in security and defence cooperation that not only makes Europe and its people safer but also leads to greater efficiency, potential savings, quality job creation and enhanced strategic autonomy; calls therefore for immediate upscaling and much better coordination of defence spending by Member States; stresses in particular the need to provide adequate resources to innovate and enhance Member States’ military capabilities, as well as their interoperability; takes note, in line with the Commission’s ‘ReArm Europe’ plan, of its call for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other international financial institutions and private banks in Europe to invest more actively in the European defence industry while safeguarding their operations and financing capacity; recalls the importance of investing in and developing dual-use equipment and, particularly, of strengthening EU military mobility as regards funding dual-use transport infrastructure along priority axes; calls on the Commission to assess the possibility of using calls for this purpose under the CEF transport programme, in the light of the military mobility funding gap; underlines the urgent need to strengthen the EU’s cybersecurity capabilities to fight hybrid warfare;

    10.  Recalls the role of the EU’s space programme in enhancing the strategic security of the Union through a variety of civil and military applications; underlines that a strong European space sector is fundamental for European security, open strategic autonomy, secure connectivity, the protection of critical infrastructure and advancing the twin green and digital transitions, and therefore requires sufficient resources;

    11.  Highlights, in the face of new challenges in internal and external security, the importance of ensuring proper implementation of the Asylum and Migration Pact, in full compliance with international human rights law, and of respecting the principles of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility; stresses that effective management and protection of the EU’s external borders, inland, air and maritime, are essential for maintaining the freedoms of the Schengen area and crucial for the security of the EU and its citizens; emphasises the need to better protect people by preventing trafficking and enhance support to strengthen cross-border cooperation between the Member States and the Union in combating terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking and criminal networks, particularly those involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking, so as to reinforce law enforcement and the judicial response to these criminal networks, as well as to support Member States facing hybrid threats, in particular the instrumentalisation of migrants on the Union’s borders as defined in the Crisis Regulation(20);

    12.  Expresses its deep concern over the fact that the Commission has funded or co-financed campaigns promoting the wearing of the veil, asserting, for example, that ‘freedom is in the hijab’; emphasises that the Union’s budget must no longer finance future campaigns that directly or indirectly promote the wearing of the veil;

    13.  Recalls the vital role that the Integrated Border Management Fund, the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund play in protecting external borders; calls, in addition, for adequate funding for border protection capabilities as an essential part of a comprehensive migration policy, including physical infrastructure, buildings, equipment, systems and services required at border crossing points, as provided for in Annex III to the BMVI Regulation(21), and for the requirements to be met in terms of reception conditions, integration, return and readmission procedure; reaffirms that cooperation agreements on migration and asylum management with non-EU countries in full respect of international law can help to prevent and counter irregular migration and strengthen border security;

    14.  Acknowledges the common agricultural policy (CAP) as a key strategic European policy for food security and greater EU autonomy in affordable and high-quality food production; stresses the crucial role of the CAP in ensuring a decent income for EU farmers as well as a productive, competitive and sustainable European agriculture; regrets that direct payments have significantly decreased in real terms due to inflation, while the administrative burden on farmers has increased due to the accumulation of bureaucracy; urges the Commission to reduce the administrative burden while maintaining high production standards and the requirement to implement EU legislation; calls for adequate resources and for direct payments to be protected to help farmers cope with the impact of inflation, fuel costs, changes in the global food and trade market and adverse climate events, affecting agricultural production and threatening food security, including in the outermost regions; highlights, in this regard, the role of the agricultural reserve; emphasises the need to help small and medium-sized farms and new and young farmers by supporting generational renewal and ensuring continued support for the promotion of EU agricultural products; underlines the need for appropriate support for research and innovation to make the agricultural sector more sustainable, including water management, in particular through the Horizon Europe programme, without reducing European agricultural production and while preventing European farmers from facing unfair competition from imported products that do not meet our standards; welcomes the Commission’s preparation of a second simplification package; underscores that food security is an essential component for geopolitical stability;

    15.  Stresses the strategic role of fisheries and aquaculture and the need for them to be adequately supported financially; acknowledges that the common fisheries policy ensures a stable income and long-term future for fishers by contributing to protecting sustainable marine ecosystems, which are key to the sector’s competitiveness; insists that special attention must be devoted to the EU’s fishing fleet in order to improve safety and security, including by combating illegal fishery actions and improving working conditions, energy efficiency and sustainability, as well as by renewing the fleet; reaffirms that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund should support a human resources policy capable of addressing future challenges, in order to promote an inclusive, diversified and sustainable blue economy; expresses its concern about the effect of the end of the Brexit transition period in June 2026 on the fishing and aquaculture sectors;

    16.  Points out that, at the end of 2023, around 20 million children were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, which is roughly one quarter of all children in the EU; believes, therefore, that the EU’s budget needs to step up efforts to combat poverty among children, including migrant children, children with disabilities and children living in precarious family situations, in accordance with the European Child Guarantee; reiterates its earlier calls for the ESF+ envelope to include a specific and significant budget for fighting child poverty;

    17.  Stresses that enhancing energy security and independence remains fundamental for the EU; highlights the EU’s role in ensuring security of energy supply, assisting households, farmers and businesses in mitigating price volatility and managing price gaps in comparison to the rest of the world; calls, therefore, for additional investment in critical infrastructure and connectivity, including large-scale cross-border electricity grids and hydrogen infrastructure for hard-to-abate sectors, which are an essential prerequisite to the decarbonisation of European industry, in low-carbon and renewable energy sources and connectivity, in particular by properly funding the CEF, as well as in energy efficiency; highlights the need to adapt European infrastructure to meet future energy demands as part of the transition to a clean and modern economy; underlines the importance of investing in new, expanding and modernising interconnector capacity for electricity trading, in particular cross-border capacity, for a fully integrated EU energy market that enhances Europe’s diversified supply security and resilience to energy market disruptions, reducing external dependencies and ultimately ensuring affordable and sustainable energy for EU citizens and businesses; stresses, in this regard, the need to strengthen cooperation with Africa;

    18.  Recalls, in this context, the current housing crisis in Europe, including the lack of decent and affordable housing; calls, therefore, for swift additional investments through a combination of funding sources, including the EIB and national promotional banks, in areas with a positive impact on reducing the cost of living for households, improving the energy efficiency of buildings and deploying renewable energy sources; calls for a coordinated approach at EU level that respects the principle of subsidiarity, encourages best practices and effectively uses all relevant funding mechanisms in addressing this pressing challenge;

    19.  Is highly concerned by the strong impacts of climate change and the biodiversity crisis both in Europe and globally and by the fact that the year 2024 was assessed to be the planet’s warmest year on record; calls for sufficient funding for the LIFE programme to finance climate and environment-related projects, including in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and for increased budgetary flexibility to adequately respond to natural disasters in the EU; regrets that increasing numbers of natural disasters have led to a high number of victims, as well as to long-term devastating effects on citizens, farmers and businesses based and working in the regions concerned, as well as in the ecosystems impacted; calls for increased funding for the EU Solidarity Fund, RESTORE (Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction) and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, including for increasing rescEU capacities, which allow for more cost-efficient capacity building, in order to support Member States quickly and effectively in overwhelming crisis situations; recognises the EU’s role as a hub for coordinating and improving Member States’ preparedness and capacities to respond immediately to large-scale, high-impact emergencies, and its added value both for Member States and citizens; stresses, in this regard, that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism is a tangible expression of European solidarity, reinforcing the EU’s role as a crisis responder; acknowledges that the European Union Solidarity Fund or any other fund alone cannot fully compensate for the extreme weather events of increased frequency and severity caused by climate change today and in the future; stresses the need to invest in and prioritise preparedness, prevention, and adaptation measures, prioritising nature-based solutions; stresses that it is crucial to ensure that Union spending contributes to climate mitigation, adaptation efforts and water resilience infrastructure; emphasises that these investments are far lower than the cost of climate inaction;

    Enhancing citizens’ opportunities in a vibrant society

    20.  Insists that continued investment in EU4Health and Cluster Health in Horizon Europe are key to improving health and preparedness for future health crises, thereby improving the health status of EU citizens; stresses the need for health investments for maximum impact; highlights its support for a holistic regulatory and funding approach to Europe’s life sciences and biotech ecosystem, including the creation of cutting-edge European clusters of excellence, as a central pillar of a stronger European health union, to which a European plan for cardiovascular diseases and lifestyles should be added, focusing on primary and secondary prevention as key objectives to increase life expectancy in the EU; highlights the need to create a more supportive care system to respond to demographic challenges and the ageing population; reiterates its support for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, as well as the importance of European investment in tackling childhood diseases, rare diseases and antimicrobial resistance; reiterates the importance of the gender aspect of health, including sexual and reproductive health and access to services; is highly concerned by the current mental health crisis in Europe, affecting in particular the young generation, exacerbated by recent global events, which requires immediate action to be taken; underlines the need to prevent shortages of critical medicines, medical countermeasures and healthcare workers faced by some Member States; calls, in this respect, for better coordination at EU level and joint procurement of medicines in order to reduce costs;

    21.  Stresses the importance of investing in young generations and their skills, as major agents of change and progress, by ensuring access to quality education; considers it essential that all students, without discrimination and in every EU Member State, should have full access to the Erasmus+ programme and underlines the essential role of Erasmus+ in facilitating cultural exchange, strengthening European identity and promoting peace through mutual understanding and cooperation, making it a cornerstone of European integration and unity; recalls the need to tackle the skills deficit, the brain drain and the correlation between market needs and skills; considers that for the EU workforce to remain competitive in the future, establishing key areas for training and reskilling is needed; stresses that further investment is required in modernising the Union’s education systems, by equipping them for the digital and green transitions, creating talent booster schemes and incentivising young entrepreneurs; points, in this respect, to the relevance of sufficient financial resources for EU programmes such as the European Social Fund Plus, Erasmus+ and the EU Solidarity Corps, which have proven highly effective in helping to achieve high employment levels and fair social protection, in broadening education and training across the Union, as well as in promoting new job opportunities and fostering skills, youth participation and equal opportunities for all; calls on the Commission to do its utmost so that all university students remain eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ programme, including in Hungary;

    22.  Recalls that families are the main pillar that supports the burden of social expenditure in the EU, especially those with children in their care; notes, at the same time, that families are also those who are suffering the most and enduring the consequences of the successive economic crises that we have suffered over the last 15 years; stresses, for all these reasons, that they must be the subject of special attention in the relevant aspects of the EU budget and of the European Pillar of Social Rights priorities;

    23.  Recalls the role of the EU budget in contributing to the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights; highlights the role of the EU budget in contributing to initiatives that reinforce social dialogue and facilitate labour mobility, including in the form of training, networking and capacity building;

    24.  Highlights the ever-increasing threats and dangers of organised and targeted disinformation campaigns against the EU by foreign stakeholders undermining European democracy; calls for the mobilisation of all relevant Union programmes, including Creative Europe, to fund actions in 2026 that promote inclusive digital and media literacy, in particular for young people, combating disinformation, countering online hate speech and extremist content, while encouraging active participation of citizens in democratic processes and safeguarding media freedom and pluralism for good cultural resilience, all of which are fundamental to a thriving democracy; deplores the recent decisions by the US administration to cut funding to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America and calls on the Commission and the Member States to explore all the possible options to provide further funding to these media outlets in the light of these developments;

    25.  Calls on the Commission to increase EU funding for protecting citizens of all religions and public spaces against terrorist threats, combating radicalisation and terrorist content online, as well as countering hate speech and rising antisemitism, anti-Christian hatred, anti-Muslim hatred and racism;

    26.  Regrets the increasing number of hate crimes directed against Christians and other religious communities; recalls that Christians are the most persecuted religious community in the world; further urges the Commission to dedicate funding to prevent the targeting of religious communities, and in particular Christian and Jewish communities, which have been targeted in Europe in recent months; urges the Commission to prioritise the protection of citizens and all religious communities and to support the combating of terrorist threats, particularly focusing on radicalisation and terrorist content online;

    27.  Calls on the Commission to ensure the swift, full and proper implementation and robust enforcement of the Digital Services Act(22), the Digital Market Act(23) and the Artificial Intelligence Act(24), also by allocating sufficient human resources; stresses the importance of tackling foreign interference, addressing the dangers of biased algorithms, and safeguarding transparency, accountability and the integrity of the digital public space;

    28.  Underlines the added value of funding programmes in the areas of democracy, rights and values; recalls the important role that the EU budget plays in the promotion of the European values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and in supporting the key principles of democracy, the rule of law, solidarity, inclusiveness, justice, non-discrimination and equality, including gender equality; reaffirms, furthermore, the essential role of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme in promoting European values and citizens’ rights, in particular its Union Values strand, as well as gender equality, thereby sustaining and further developing an open, rights-based, democratic, equal and inclusive society based on the rule of law; stresses the need for targeted measures to address gender disparities and promote equal opportunities through EU funding allocations; stresses that supporting investigative journalism with sufficient resources is a strategic investment in democracy, transparency and social justice; reiterates the importance of the Daphne and Equality and Rights programmes, and stresses that necessary resources should be devoted to combating discrimination in all its forms, as well as tackling forms of violence;

    29.  Emphasises the valuable work carried out under the Union Values strand, which provides, among other things, direct funding to civil society organisations as key actors in vibrant democracies; stresses that citizens and civil society organisations, promoting the will and interest of citizens, represent the core of European democracy; underlines, in this regard, the importance of all EU programmes and increased funding in supporting the genuine engagement of civil society, particularly in the context of the impact of reduced funding for civil society by the EU’s international partners;

    30.  Calls for the full and urgent implementation of the Agreement establishing an interinstitutional body for ethical standards for members of institutions and advisory bodies referred to in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union; believes that the Huawei corruption scandal adds special urgency to starting the work of the body without delay; commits to providing the necessary financial and human resources to allow the body to fulfil its mandate and implement its tasks properly;

    31.  Considers it essential for the Union’s stability and progress and its citizens’ trust to ensure the proper use of Union funds and to take all steps towards protecting the Union’s financial interests, in particular by applying the rule of law conditionality; underscores the undeniable connection between respect for the rule of law and efficient implementation of the Union’s budget in accordance with the principles of sound financial management under the Financial Regulation; reiterates that under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation(25), the imposition of appropriate measures must not affect the obligations of governments to implement the programme or fund affected by the measure, and in particular the obligations they have towards final recipients; insists, therefore, that in cases of breaches of the rule of law by national governments, the Commission should explore alternative ways to implement the budget, including by assessing the possibility of diverting sources to directly and indirectly managed programmes, in order to ensure that local and regional authorities, civil society and other beneficiaries can continue to benefit from Union funding, without weakening the application of the regulation; highlights the role of the European Court of Auditors and its constant activity in defence of transparency, accountability and strict compliance with the regulations on all of the funds and programmes;

    A strong Union in a changing world

    32.  Observes that the need for the EU to maintain and augment its presence on the global stage is increasingly crucial amid escalating global conflicts, geopolitical shifts and foreign influence efforts worldwide, particularly considering developments with other major global providers of aid; stresses that in order to achieve this, the Union requires sufficient funding and resources to act, including to respond to major crises in its neighbourhood and throughout the world, in particular in the light of the sudden decrease in international funding; stresses the importance of the humanitarian aid programme and regrets that resources are not increasing in line with record-high needs; underscores the need to strengthen the EU’s role as a leading humanitarian actor while effectively addressing emerging crises, particularly in regions facing protracted conflict, displacement, food insecurity and natural disasters; emphasises that the Union also requires sufficient resources for long-term investments in building global partnerships, and points out the importance of the participation of non-EU countries in Union programmes, where appropriate;

    33.  Underlines that the EU’s security environment has changed dramatically following Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and unpredictable changes in the policies of its main allies; recalls the importance of enhancing citizens’ safety and of achieving efficiency in the area of defence and strategic autonomy, through a comprehensive approach to security that covers military and civilian capabilities, external relations and internal security; stresses the importance of the Internal Security Fund to ensure funding to tackle increased levels of serious organised crime with a cross-border dimension and cybercrime; recognises the pressure which increased defence spending represents for Member Sates’ national budgets; stresses the importance of Member States stepping up their efforts and increasing funding for their defence capabilities, in a consistent and complementary manner in line with the NATO guideline;

    34.  Stresses that, beyond the enormous sacrifices of the people of Ukraine in withstanding Russia’s war of aggression for our common European security, this war has also had substantial economic and social consequences for people throughout Europe; recalls that certain Member States, in particular those with a land border with Russia and/or Belarus in the Baltic region, and frontline Member States, as well as vulnerable sectors of the economy, remain particularly exposed to the consequences of the war and deserve support in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure and military mobility, in the spirit of EU solidarity;

    35.  Firmly reiterates its unconditional and full support for Ukraine in its fight for its freedom and democracy against Russian aggression, as the war on its soil has passed the three-year mark; underlines the ongoing need for high levels of funding, including in humanitarian aid and for repairs to critical infrastructure, and for improved capacity along the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes; welcomes the renewed and reinforced intention of the Commission and Member States to work in a united way to address Ukraine’s pressing defence needs and to further support the Ukrainian economy by providing regular and predictable financial support and facilitating investment opportunities; welcomes the agreement with the Council on macro-financial assistance for Ukraine of up to EUR 35 billion, making use of the proceeds of frozen Russian assets through the new Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, in order to support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction and modernisation, as well as to foster Ukraine’s progress on its path to EU accession; stresses the importance of ensuring accountability regarding core international crimes;

    36.  Insists on the benefits of pre-accession funds, both for the enlargement countries and for the EU itself, as the funding creates more stability in the region; welcomes the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans to further support the economic convergence of Western Balkan countries with the EU’s single market through investment and growth in the region; insists on the need to deploy the necessary funds to support Moldova’s accession process, in line with the EU’s commitment to enlargement and regional stability; underlines the role of the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova and highlights the necessity of securing sufficient financial resources for its full implementation; underlines the importance of sustained support for candidate countries in implementing the necessary accession-related reforms, in particular regarding the rule of law, anti-corruption and democracy and in enhancing their resilience and preventing and countering hybrid threats; calls on the Commission to allocate additional funding to support civil society, independent media organisations and journalists;

    37.  Underlines, furthermore, that EU neighbourhood policy, namely its Eastern and Southern Partnerships, contributes to the overall goal of increasing the stability, prosperity and resilience of the EU’s neighbours and thereby of increasing the security of our continent; stresses, therefore, the importance of reinforcing the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood budget lines in order to support political, economic and social reforms in the regions, facilitate peace processes and reconstruction and provide assistance to refugees, in particular through continuous, reinforced and predictable funding and continuous implementation on the ground; recalls that the EU must continue to alleviate other crises and assist the most vulnerable populations around the world through its humanitarian aid programme, as well as by maintaining its global positioning with the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument for supporting global challenges and promoting human rights, freedoms and democracy, as well as for the capacity building of civil society organisations and for delivering on the Union’s international climate and biodiversity commitments, within a comprehensive monitoring and control system;

    Cross-cutting issues in the 2026 budget

    38.  Underlines that the repayment of the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) borrowing costs is a legal obligation for the EU and therefore non-discretionary; notes that borrowing costs depend on the pace of disbursements under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) as well as on market fluctuations in bond yields and are therefore inherently partly unpredictable and volatile; insists, therefore, on the need for the Commission to provide reliable, timely and accurate information on NextGenerationEU (NGEU) borrowing costs and on expected RRF disbursements throughout the budgetary procedure as well as on available decommitments; expects the Commission to update the decommitments forecast when it presents the draft budget; recalls that the three institutions agreed that expenditures covering the financing costs of NGEU must aim at not reducing EU programmes and funds;

    39.  Recalls its support for the amended Commission proposals for the introduction of new own resources; is highly concerned by the complete lack of progress on the new own resources in the Council, in particular in view of increasing investment and unforeseen needs; considers that the introduction of new own resources, in line with the roadmap in the interinstitutional agreement of 2020, is essential to cover NGEU borrowing costs while shielding the margins and flexibility mechanisms necessary to cater for these needs;

    40.  Highlights again Parliament’s full support for the cohesion policy and its key role in delivering on the EU’s policy priorities and its general growth; reiterates that the cohesion policy’s optimal added value for citizens depends on its effective and timely implementation; in the same vein, urges the Member States and the Commission to accelerate the implementation of operational programmes under shared management funds as well as of the recovery and resilience plans so as to ensure swift budgetary execution and to avoid accumulated payment backlogs in the two last years of the MFF period, in particular through additional capacity building and technical assistance for Member States; reaffirms the imperative of a robust and transparent mechanism for accurately monitoring disbursements to beneficiaries;

    41.  Notes that particular attention must be paid to rural and remote areas, areas affected by industrial transition and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as islands and outermost, cross-border and mountain regions and all those affected by natural disasters; stresses that these regions should benefit from adequate funding to offset the special characteristics and constraints of their structural social and economic situation, as referred to in Article 349 TFEU; stresses the vital importance of the POSEI programme for maintaining agricultural activity in the outermost regions and bringing food to local markets; calls for the programme budget to be increased to reflect the real needs of farmers in these regions; notes that there has been no such increase since 2013, despite the fact that farmers in these regions face higher production costs due to inflation and climate change; stresses also that the Overseas Countries and Territories associated with the EU, as referred to in Articles 198-204 TFEU, should benefit from adequate funding for their sustainable economic and social development, in the light of their geopolitical importance for global maritime trade routes and key partnerships such as those on sustainable raw materials value chains;

    42.  Reiterates that EU programmes, policies and activities, where relevant, should be implemented in such a way that promotes gender equality in the delivery of their objectives; welcomes the Commission’s work on developing gender mainstreaming in order to meaningfully measure the gender impact of Union spending, as set out in the interinstitutional agreement;

    43.  Takes note that the climate mainstreaming target of 30 % is projected to be met by 33,5 % in 2025, while the biodiversity target will be below 8,5 % in 2025, and unless dedicated action is undertaken the 10 % target will not be met in 2026; stresses the need for continuous efforts towards the achievement of the climate and biodiversity mainstreaming targets laid down in the interinstitutional agreement in the Union budget and the EURI expenditures;

    44.  Stresses that the 2026 Union budget should be aligned with the Union’s ambitions of making the Union climate neutral by 2050 at the latest, as well as the Union’s international commitments, in particular under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Agreement, and should significantly contribute to the implementation of the European Green Deal and the 2030 biodiversity strategy;

    45.  Recalls that effective programme implementation is achievable only with the backing of a committed administration; emphasises the essential work carried out by bodies and decentralised agencies and asserts that they must be properly staffed and sufficiently resourced, while taking into account inflation, so that they can fulfil their responsibilities effectively and contribute to the achievement of the Union political priorities, also when given new tasks and mandates;

    46.  Recalls that, in accordance with the Financial Regulation, when implementing the budget, Member States and the Commission must ensure compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and respect the Union’s values enshrined in Article 2 TEU; underlines in particular Articles 137, 138 and 158 of the Financial Regulation and recalls the Commission and the Member States’ obligation to exclude from Union funds any persons or entities found guilty by a final judgment of terrorist offences, as well as by final judgments of terrorist activities, inciting, aiding, abetting or attempting to commit such offences, and corruption or other serious offences; highlights the need to leverage efforts in tackling fraud both at Union and Member State level and to this end ensure appropriate financial and human resources covering the Union’s full anti-fraud architecture; recalls the importance of providing the Union Anti-Fraud Programme with sufficient financial resources;

    47.  Underlines the importance of effective communication and the visibility of EU policies and programmes in raising awareness of the added value that the EU brings to citizens, businesses and partners;

    o
    o   o

    48.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors.

    (1) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj.
    (2) OJ C 444 I, 22.12.2020, p. 4.
    (3) OJ C 445, 29.10.2021, p. 252.
    (4) OJ L 325, 20.12.2022, p. 11, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2496/oj.
    (5) OJ L, 2024/765, 29.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/765/oj.
    (6) OJ C 445, 29.10.2021, p. 240.
    (7) OJ C 177, 17.5.2023, p. 115.
    (8) OJ C, C/2024/1195, 23.02.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/1195/oj.
    (9) OJ C, C/2024/6751, 26.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6751/oj.
    (10) OJ L 424, 15.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2020/2053/oj.
    (11) OJ C 167, 11.5.2023, p. 162.
    (12) OJ L 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj.
    (13) OJ L 243, 9.7.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1119/oj.
    (14) OJ C, C/2023/1084, 15.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/1084/oj.
    (15) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2092/oj.
    (16) OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2020/1222/oj.
    (17) OJ C, 2017/428, 13.12.2017, p. 10.
    (18) OJ L, 2025/31, 27.2.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/budget/2025/31/oj.
    (19) European Commission: Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, European economic forecast – Autumn 2024, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.
    (20) Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 (OJ L, 2024/1359, 22.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1359/oj).
    (21) Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing, as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund, the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (OJ L 251, 15.7.2021, p. 48, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1148/oj).
    (22) Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj).
    (23) Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828 (OJ L 265, 12.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj).
    (24) Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (OJ L, 2024/1689, 12.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj).
    (25) Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2092/oj).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Investing in AI Within the SUNY System

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that eight SUNY campuses are developing departments, centers, and institutes of AI and Society to engage diverse disciplines and communities, broaden AI development to prepare students for the future and advance the use of AI for the public good. Through this program, the state has provided $5 million in funding to foster collaboration across disciplines to promote inclusive AI research, to address ethical concerns in the use of AI, and to advance responsible data use.

    “The progression of AI research in New York State is going to inspire other states to follow our path,” Governor Hochul said. “Investing in AI within the SUNY system is an investment in our students to expand their knowledge about what the future will bring. We are not just preparing students for AI – we’re shaping how AI serves society, ensuring it strengthens communities and our economy.”

    Investments announced today will launch the following projects:

    • University at Albany- Launching a new AI & Society College & Research Center
    • Binghamton University- Creating the Institute for AI and Society
    • University at Buffalo- Creating the Department of AI and Society
    • SUNY Downstate- Establishing the Global Center for AI, Society and Mental Health
    • SUNY ESF- Establishing the Center for Artificial Intelligence, Society, and the Environment (AISE) (seed funding)
    • SUNY Poly- Developing an Institute for AI and Society (seed funding)
    • Stony Brook University- Creating the Department of Technology, AI and Society
    • Upstate Medical- Forming the AI for Health Equity, Analytics, and Diagnostics (AHEAD) Center (seed funding)

    SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, SUNY researchers, faculty, and students are leading the way in using AI to advance the public good. SUNY’s commitment to academic excellence includes making it possible for students from a wide range of disciplines to come together, explore new ideas, and develop the skills that will lead to lifelong success.”

    SUNY Board Trustee Courtney Burke said, “As SUNY and the State of New York continue to invest in AI research for public good, these grants will allow our campuses a vital opportunity to expand their existing AI programs and further stretch the advantages of AI on and off campus. The SUNY Board of Trustees looks forward to witnessing the impact of this investment on each campus selected.”

    SUNY is delivering on Governor Hochul’s vision of artificial intelligence for the public good. Projects are up and running at the first “alpha” phase of the Empire AI computing center, housed at University at Buffalo (UB) and Empire AI brings together researchers from SUNY’s four University Centers – the University at Albany, Binghamton University, UB, and Stony Brook University – as well as the City University of New York, Cornell University, Columbia University, New York University, the Flatiron Institute, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Governor Hochul’s FY2026 Executive Budget provides additional resources to expand Empire AI’s computing capacity and provide additional computing resources for SUNY researchers. Early SUNY projects include:

    • Binghamton University is conducting research on large language models and antisemitism on social media in order to detect hateful content. Another project is on 3D foundation models for high-throughput characterization of metal-organic frameworks for climate change applications.
    • A team at UB is working on a comprehensive solution to characterize and treat every disease.
    • Stony Brook University researchers have a project on transforming how vaccines are developed by creating an innovative AI-driven platform for antigen design.

    In addition, SUNY has also updated its General Education Framework to incorporate AI as part of the Information Literacy core competency.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York State is the heart of innovation, and thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, ESD is investing in the industries – like artificial intelligence – that will power the Empire State’s long-term economy. SUNY’s funding for dedicated departments to advance AI & Society will help ensure the benefits of this revolutionary technology are used to foster positive interdisciplinary collaboration and problem-solving, promote the public good, and support inclusive economic opportunity for all New Yorkers.”

    State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “Artificial intelligence is the technology of the future and its impact on society will be transformative in ways that we can only imagine. By providing funding to launch the Departments on AI and Society at eight different SUNY campuses, we guarantee that New York will be at the forefront of the development of AI and its subsequent research will be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. I applaud Governor Hochul and Chancellor King for the first in the nation plan to ensure AI serves the public good.”

    State Senator Kristin Gonzalez said, “Thank you to SUNY and Governor Hochul for reaffirming New York State’s commitment to advancing AI initiatives that serve the public good, ensuring ethical innovation and inclusive progress. I’m really excited for the insights and work from the new Departments of AI and Society that will help shape a future where technology enriches and strengthens communities.”

    Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Through the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, SUNY Chancellor John King, and the State Legislature, New York State is leading the nation in ‘public purpose’ focused AI research and development. The Empire AI Consortium is an innovative model for prioritizing public benefit projects and research in AI development. SUNY has been a leader in AI for many years and is at the forefront of taking AI to the next level. We must continue to support funding for these initiatives.”

    Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman said, “SUNY’s commitment to advancing artificial intelligence for the public good is a critical step in ensuring that emerging technologies are used responsibly and equitably. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, these investments in AI research and education will not only drive innovation but also help address pressing societal challenges – from combating online hate to improving healthcare solutions. With the rapid rise of AI, it is essential that we learn how to better understand and harness its potential to advance our state. I applaud Chancellor King and SUNY for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration that will prepare our students for the future while ensuring AI serves all communities fairly and ethically.”

    About The State University of New York
    The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. Learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Decision by the Commission to authorize Ontario Power Generation Inc. to construct 1 BWRX-300 reactor at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials to protect health, safety, security and the environment; to implement Canada’s international commitments on the peaceful use of nuclear energy; and to disseminate objective scientific, technical and regulatory information to the public. 

    The Commission is a quasi-judicial administrative tribunal set up at arm’s length from government, independent from any political, government or private sector influence. It makes decisions with respect to regulating nuclear safety, including licensing decisions, and is also independent of CNSC staff.

    1.1 The licensee: Ontario Power Generation

    Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) is an Ontario government business enterprise that operates the Darlington Nuclear site. The site includes the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, the Darlington Waste Management Facility, the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site, support facilities and offices. 

    The site is located in the Municipality of Clarington, Ontario, within the traditional lands and waters of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg, the Gunshot Treaty (1877–88), the Williams Treaties (1923), and the Williams Treaties First Nations Settlement Agreement (2018).

    1.2 The Darlington New Nuclear Project

    The DNNP, a proposed project from OPG, represents the site preparation, construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of up to 4 new nuclear reactors at the existing Darlington Nuclear site. The DNNP site is located on the eastern third of the Darlington Nuclear site. The goal of this project is to generate up to 4,800 megawatts of electricity for the Ontario grid. The DNNP would be a Class IA nuclear facility, per section 1 of the Class I Nuclear Facilities Regulations. OPG currently holds a CNSC power reactor site preparation licence for the DNNP.

    The DNNP was subject to an environmental assessment (EA) conducted by a joint review panel (JRP) under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The EA was completed in 2012, and the Government of Canada determined that the DNNP was not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

    In December 2021, OPG announced that it had selected the General Electric Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor for deployment at the DNNP site. In October 2022, OPG applied to the CNSC for a licence to construct 1 BWRX-300 reactor for this project. In April 2024, the Commission determined that the EA for the DNNP remained applicable to the selected reactor technology.   

    1.3 Matters for decision 

    The Commission considered a licensing decision under paragraphs 24(4)(a) and (b) of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act (NSCA) whether to authorize OPG to construct, and if so, with what terms and conditions.

    This decision engaged the CNSC, as an agent of the Crown contemplating decisions with the potential to impact asserted or established Aboriginal rights, to discharge the duty to consult and, where appropriate, to accommodate Aboriginal rights under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Prior to making its decision, the Commission had to determine if this duty had been met.

    1.4 Duty to consult

    As described in detail in its decision, the Commission was satisfied that the honour of the Crown had been upheld and that the legal obligation to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous interests had been satisfied relative to the Commission’s licensing decision. The Commission’s decision directs OPG and CNSC staff to implement accommodation measures to further enable the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and practices into both the conduct of licensed activities and CNSC oversight.

    1.5 Licence to construct

    The Commission decided to issue nuclear power reactor construction licence PRCL 32.00/2035 to OPG for the construction of 1 BWRX-300 reactor at the DNNP site. In making its decision, the Commission concluded that OPG is qualified to carry out the activities authorized under the licence to construct; that OPG has adequate programs in place to ensure that the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment will be protected under the licence to construct; and that OPG will make adequate provision for the maintenance of national security and to implement international obligations to which Canada has agreed. 

    The licence is valid until March 31, 2035, and includes 4 site-specific licence conditions that require OPG to:

    • implement the mitigation measures proposed and commitments made during the Darlington JRP process, including the applicable recommendations of the Darlington JRP Report, in accordance with the Government of Canada response
    • implement and maintain an environmental assessment follow-up program
    • obtain the approval of the Commission, or consent of a person authorized by the Commission, prior to the removal of established regulatory hold points
    • conduct Indigenous engagement activities, specific to the DNNP, throughout the licence period

    As part of its decision, the Commission also accepted OPG’s proposed financial guarantee in the form of a letter of credit in the amount of $167,180,000.

    The decision by the Commission does not authorize the operation of a BWRX-300 reactor at the DNNP site. Authorization to operate the reactor would be subject to a future Commission licensing hearing and decision, should OPG come forward with a licence application to do so.

    1.6 Regulatory hold points

    Under the licence, OPG is required to provide additional information to the CNSC prior to undertaking specific construction activities. Commitments that are essential to verify compliance with regulatory requirements related to the safety analysis and design of structures, systems, and components that are important to safety are tied to 3 regulatory hold points (RHP):

    • RHP-1: Installation of the Reactor Building Foundation 
    • RHP-2: Installation of the Reactor Pressure Vessel 
    • RHP-3: Fuel-Out Commissioning

    As part of its decision, the Commission authorized the CNSC Executive Vice-President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer, Regulatory Operations Branch to administer licence condition 15.3 with respect to the removal of regulatory hold points.

    1.7 Building trust and advancing reconciliation

    As Canada’s nuclear regulator, the CNSC is committed to building trust and advancing reconciliation. 

    As a lifecycle regulator, the CNSC focuses on continuous engagement and consultation with Indigenous Nations and communities before, during and after Commission proceedings for CNSC activities. This includes, for example, sharing project information, encouraging participation in public proceedings, and providing participant funding.

    Going forward, the CNSC will continue its work to develop and nurture long-term relationships with the Indigenous Nations and communities that have been, and will continue to be, involved in the regulatory process for the DNNP. 

    Additional information on the CNSC’s consultations in the context of the DNNP can be found in CNSC staff’s review of the proposed DNNP.

    Timeline

    • In September 2006, OPG applied for a licence to prepare a site for the DNNP.
    • In May 2007, the CNSC began the EA for the DNNP.
    • In March 2008, the federal Minister of the Environment referred the EA to a JRP.
    • On August 25, 2011, the JRP submitted its EA report to the Minister of the Environment, concluding that, “the Project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects, provided the mitigation measures proposed and commitments made by OPG during the review, and the Panel’s recommendations are implemented.”
    • On May 2, 2012, the Government of Canada responded to the EA report, accepting or “accepting the intent” of all of the JRP’s recommendations.
    • On August 17, 2012, the JRP, as a panel of the Commission, issued OPG a 10-year site preparation licence for the DNNP.
    • On October 12, 2021, the Commission renewed OPG’s licence to prepare site
    • In December 2021, OPG announced its selection of the General Electric Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology for deployment at the DNNP site 
    • In October 2022, OPG applied for a licence to construct 1 BWRX-300 reactor
    • On April 19, 2024, the Commission determined that the BWRX-300 reactor is not fundamentally different from the technologies assessed in the EA and that a new EA was not required
    • On June 27, 2024, the Commission announced that it would hold a 2-part public hearing to consider and decide on OPG’s application for a licence to construct 1 BWRX-300 reactor at its DNNP site
    • On October 2, 2024 and January 8 to 10, 13 and 14, 2025, the Commission held a 2-part public hearing on OPG’s licence to construct application

    Related links

    Contact

    Media Relations 
    Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission 
    Tel: 613-996-6860

    Email: media@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Ending unnecessary holdbacks to make more water available

    Alberta’s communities and economy are growing fast, and so does the demand for water. Traditionally, water transfers required 10 percent of the water be held back, often preventing readily available water from being safely used by irrigators, businesses and communities that need it.

    Alberta’s government has released three new policy directions so that water is only held back when absolutely needed. These new rules will make water transfers easier, free up more water in southern and central Alberta, and support economic growth for agriculture, industry and municipalities.

    “Alberta communities, irrigators, and industry have asked for a more flexible system. Removing unnecessary holdbacks will make it easier – and less costly – for water license users to get the water they need, when they need it most, without reducing their overall allocation.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    Previously, 10 per cent holdbacks were taken for most licence transfers. Alberta’s government recently engaged with water users across the province and heard repeatedly that unnecessary holdbacks are reducing water-sharing, adding unnecessary costs and limiting the potential water supply during droughts and shortages. For example, under the previous system, a southern Alberta irrigator transferring water to another farmer would have had to hold back 10 per cent of that amount, often meaning that thousands of cubic meters of water cannot go to where they are desperately needed.

    Now, water will only be held back as needed to prevent negatively affecting other water users or the environment, in line with the requirements under the Water Act. In Alberta, water licences are already issued with specific conditions designed to protect the aquatic environment, meaning most additional holdbacks are not needed. This change will also make the system more effective as water licence holders can now transfer unused water to others who need it.

    The new guidance applies to all river basins where transfers are allowed, including the South Saskatchewan River, Battle River and Milk River. The new policy guidance will make sure that future decisions on transfer applications follow a consistent and common-sense approach across regions for determining if holdbacks are needed.

    This is part of the province’s ongoing work to maximize water availability in Alberta. The government engaged with Albertans in late 2024 and early 2025 to hear ideas about how to strengthen and modernize the water system. This is complex and nuanced work and government is working to identify which gaps and opportunities can be addressed in 2025, and which will require further engagement with Albertans to explore options and plans for implementation.

    Quick facts

    • There are about 25,000 water licences in Alberta.
    • The Water Act enables licences to be transferred, in whole or in part, in areas where an approved water management plan is established. Approved plans are in place in the Milk, South Saskatchewan and Battle River basins.
    • As of January 2025, there have been 407 completed water transfers, most of which occurred in the South Saskatchewan River Basin and some in the Battle River basin.
      • Holdbacks were taken in 256 of 407 completed transfers.

    Related information

    • Guide to 10% holdbacks for water transfers – Battle River basin
    • Guide to 10% holdbacks for water transfers – Milk River basin
    • Guide to 10% holdbacks for water transfers – South Saskatchewan River basin

    Related news

    • Cutting wait times for water permits (Nov. 1, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Move to Bust Federal Employee Unions

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    Lawsuit alleges union-busting executive order is retaliation against labor unions that have challenged the administration’s illegal workplace actions

    SAN FRANCISCO – Labor unions representing federal government workers across the country are suing the Trump administration over the president’s attempt to override the law through executive order and strip more than one million federal government employees of their union rights.

    The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Trump’s executive order is a retaliatory attempt to punish federal employee unions that have been engaging in constitutionally protected speech. Unions have repeatedly scored court victories after suing in opposition to actions taken by the Trump administration targeting federal workers.

    The new complaint cites a White House fact sheet that specifically referenced a statement made by the lead plaintiff, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 820,000 federal employees.

    Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration overbroadly applied the national security exemption to eliminate collective bargaining rights for over a million workers whose primary functions are not related to national security. Those employees work at agencies and departments like the Department of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and several others.

    The lawsuit was filed by Bredhoff and Kaiser. Other plaintiffs joining AFGE in the lawsuit are the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who collectively represent more than 950,000 federal employees.

    “AFGE is not going to be intimidated by a bully who is throwing a temper tantrum because our union is beating them in the court of law and in the court of public opinion,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “Federal employees have had the right to join a union and bargain collectively for decades – through multiple wars, international conflicts, and a global health emergency during President Trump’s first term. During all that time they served the American people with honor and distinction. No one, including President Trump, ever suggested unions were a national security concern. Trump’s newest order to revoke union rights is a clear case of retaliation. But I’ve got news for him: we are not going anywhere.”

    “Federal workers and all AFSCME members have been making their voices heard in court and on the streets to protect public services and their jobs. They won’t let billionaires raid our communities without consequence – and that’s why they’re facing retaliation,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “The extremists in this administration have made their contempt for public service workers clear and know that stripping collective bargaining rights means stripping away their power. We are filing this lawsuit to stop this illegal effort to silence those who speak out and protect free speech for all working people.”

    “President Trump’s unlawful order isn’t just an attack on federal workers—it’s an attack on the public. NAGE members make sure veterans get the care they deserve, support our military, protect our environment, and keep our government running. By stripping away their rights, this administration is deliberately weakening public services and putting political loyalty ahead of skill and experience,” said NAGE National President David J. Holway. “If this order stands, the ones who will suffer most are the American people.”

    “America’s public service workers don’t work for profits, politics, or for glory – they serve our nation. The President’s unlawful executive order attacking federal unions is not only an attack on a million federal workers, but is a direct attack on all workers who seek a collective voice to bargain for a better future,” said April Verrett, president of the two-million member Service Employees International Union (SEIU). “This is blatant retaliation against brave workers who dared to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize this administration’s authoritarian overreach. The labor movement stands in solidarity, and we will not let this administration’s union-busting tactics silence us.”

    “The VA nurses rely on collective bargaining to advocate for patient safety and ensure the best care for our veterans – most of whom are over 45 years old, and many of whom have a disability. Without these bargaining rights, we risk retaliation for speaking up and holding our employers accountable. Our veterans deserve nurses who can fight for their care without fear,” said Nancy Hagans, RN, president of National Nurses United (NNU).  “This latest move by the administration is a clear attempt to intimidate us for standing up against its efforts to dismantle and privatize the VA, which studies have shown is a better place for veterans to receive care compared to the private sector. We will not be silenced by this bully behavior.”

    “This is the most significant assault on collective bargaining rights we have ever seen in the United States,” said Randy Erwin, National President, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). “It is clear that this executive order is retaliation for federal unions fighting back against the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the civil service. This is yet another direct attack by the President not only on federal employees, but also veterans, working families, and the very fabric of our democracy. However, federal workers’ collective bargaining rights are protected by law and President Trump does not have the right to unilaterally eliminate them. NFFE and our allies are confident the rule of law will be upheld and the critical rights of working people will be protected.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: School SuDS work finished by Preston & South Ribble flood scheme

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    School SuDS work finished by Preston & South Ribble flood scheme

    Working to reduce flood risk by temporarily storing rainwater; reducing its flow and surface water runoff. Three primary schools have benefited.

    St. Leonard’s Primary School. Environment Agency.

    The Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme (P&SR FRMS) has worked with three local primary schools to improve surface water drainage in playgrounds.

    The P&SR FRMS has delivered a trio of schemes, worth tens-of-thousands-of-pounds, installing features of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) wherever possible. 

    SuDS help reduce flood risk by temporarily storing rainwater during storms and reducing the flow and reducing surface water run-off. 

    The beneficiaries are: 

    • Frenchwood Community Primary School, Preston 

    • St. Mary Magdalen’s Catholic Primary School, Penwortham 

    • St. Leonard’s Primary School, Walton-le-Dale 

    St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Primary School. Environment Agency.

    One of Many Community Benefits

    Items installed include: permeable surfacing; water storage butts; living roof gazebo; rainwater planters; trees and more.

    A number of other community benefits are being delivered by the Preston & South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme. These include planting more than 8,000 trees on the riverbank and Fishwick Bottoms and the creation of a small, insect-friendly wetland at Ribble Sidings. Last year, the relandscaped Broadgate Gardens were reopened. 

    Frenchwood Community Primary School. Environment Agency.

    Construction of the P&SR FRMS began in 2022 and, when complete, thousands of properties will be better protected from flooding between Broadgate and Walton-le-Dale. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

    For more information, head to the Scheme’s page on the Flood Hub

    Enquiries about the scheme can be submitted via email to psr@environment-agency.gov.uk

    Media enquiries should be sent to clcommunications@environment-agency.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 13 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Making an Impact at 2025 North American Strategy for Competitiveness Continental Reunion

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on April 4, 2025

    The Province will Host for Next Year’s International Conference

    This week, Environment Minister Travis Keisig traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to attend the North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO) Annual Continental Reunion. At the conference, Minister Keisig was pleased to announce that the Government of Saskatchewan will be hosting next year’s conference in Regina.

    NASCO is the only tri-national network of North American governments, businesses, and educational institutions and is driven by a common interest in collaboration along commercial corridors and trade networks.

    “Saskatchewan is proud to be a full member of NASCO, an organization founded on strengthening the North American supply chain, workforce and energy sectors,” Keisig said. “I have had the privilege of serving on the NASCO board for over a year and a half and this ongoing engagement has proven to be highly valuable during these uncertain times. This conference provides the opportunity to grow our current relationships and continue to position Saskatchewan as the best place to invest and do business.”

    NASCO’s priorities include improving North America’s supply chain, eliminating unnecessary trade barriers, closing the skilled workforce gap, promoting North American energy security, collaboration and new technology. 2026 will mark the third time that Saskatchewan has hosted the Annual Continental Reunion, the most recent time being in 2016.

    Saskatchewan is a key player in Canada’s energy sector and one of the only jurisdictions that produces crude oil, natural gas, uranium, biofuels, wind and hydro power. With significant oil and gas production, the world’s largest high-grade deposits of uranium, and leading expertise in sustainable resource development practices, Saskatchewan has what the world needs to ensure energy security now and in the decades ahead.

    NASCO 2025 runs from April 2-4, 2025.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Magaziner Leads Congressional Forum on NOAA Cuts, Brings Rhode Island Voices to Washington

    Source: US Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) led House Natural Resources Committee Democrats in a congressional forum on the devastating impact of cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlighting how mass layoffs and facility closures at the agency hurt Rhode Island’s coastal economy and national security interests.

    The forum brought together voices from the fishing industry, environmental advocacy, and public service at the nation’s capital—including Sarah Schumann, a Rhode Island commercial fisher and Director of the Fishery Friendly Climate Action Campaign—to testify on the impact of Trump Administration cuts to NOAA.

    “Fishing is part of who we are in Rhode Island—and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on weather, fish stocks, and more plays a critical role in protecting lives and livelihoods in the Ocean State.” said Magaziner. “I was proud to bring voices together and host this forum with House Natural Resources Committee Democrats to elevate local challenges and shine a light on the reckless cuts to NOAA by Trump and Musk that hurt the Ocean State and its coastal economy.”

    “From farmers and first responders to entire coastal communities, NOAA is integral to protecting Americans’ safety and keeping our economy running,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “Today’s forum made one thing clear: the Trump administration’s reckless policies are not attacks on NOAA, but also attacks on public safety, good-paying jobs, and the scientific knowledge our communities depend on. By firing experts, slashing critical funding, and privatizing weather data, the administration is putting American lives at risk with the sole purpose of rewarding billionaires. Dismantling NOAA doesn’t just hurt public servants—it hurts everyone.”

    View full remarks from House Natural Resources Committee Democrats’ forum here.

    View or download photos from the House Natural Resources Committee Democrats’ forum here.

    During the forum, Democratic members of the House Natural Resources Committee heard from witnesses on how the Trump administration’s actions surrounding NOAA impact coastal communities and business owners, weaken U.S. fisheries, make communities less safe in the face of natural disasters, and threaten critical climate research.

    The panelists spoke to the critical lifeline NOAA is for communities in providing weather data and forecasts and monitoring coastal environments. 

    Members of Congress in attendance included House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-04), Rep. Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), and Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03).

    BACKGROUND

    In Rhode Island, NOAA supports a fishing and aquaculture industry that supports thousands of jobs, provides lifesaving weather forecasting, and funds research that strengthens the state’s coastal economy and conservation of ocean resources. Proposed cuts threaten jobs, local businesses, and the livelihoods of Rhode Islanders who depend on healthy oceans and sustainable fisheries. 

    Despite its critical mission, NOAA has become a primary target of the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE. Since January, NOAA has faced an unprecedented wave of political interference: censorship of climate research, purging of expert staff, the shutdown of oversight committees, and forced layoffs impacting more than 800 employees. DOGE operatives have unlawfully accessed NOAA systems, including internal communications and grants databases, raising serious questions about data integrity and whistleblower retaliation.

    These actions have already disrupted NOAA’s core functions. Weather balloon launches have been reduced, community resilience programs scaled back or shuttered, and offices around the country remain closed. Meanwhile, extremist proposals to dismantle or privatize NOAA will put essential weather alerts and environmental data behind paywalls, endangering farmers, first responders, and coastal economies. House Democrats are committed to exposing this dangerous agenda and defending the public services that keep Americans safe and our economy strong.

    This event follows a roundtable hosted by Magaziner in Providence to hear from Rhode Island fishing, aquaculture, environmental, and conservation leaders about their concerns surrounding a weakened NOAA.

    PANELIST QUOTES

    “We have no idea how NOAA will keep functioning with these budget cuts. We have no idea how much expertise and knowledge has been lost in these firings. We have no idea what else the Trump administration will do to destroy NOAA. And we have no idea who else is slated to be let go,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, Founder and Executive Director, Azul. “To name just a few examples, Digital Coast helped Florida use high-level surface mapping to improve their flood vulnerability assessments. It helped Southern California collaborate on innovation projects for their renewable economy. It helped Northern Mariana Islands better prepare for tsunamis. It helped improve storm surge modeling for Caribbean disaster preparedness programs. It helped inform watershed management in Florida. It helped promote ecotourism in Virginia through watershed conservation. It helped analyze urban growth and flood risk in North Carolina. It helped lower flood insurance premiums in South Carolina. The list could go on and on. NOAA’s tools have helped every one of these communities and so many more. So what will happen when there’s no longer the budget for these tools, for the scientists, and the data experts who know how to use them? The unfortunate result is that communities will suffer across the U.S.”

    “In my last job in the Navy, I was the oceanographer and navigator of the Navy. Just as importantly, I was the Navy deputy to NOAA. That’s how important the Navy sees this relationship between our Navy and NOAA, in that they assign an admiral to be a deputy to the director of NOAA,” said RADM Jon White, USN (Ret.). “Without the NOAA information, without leading the world in this, then our national security and the safety of our men and women in uniform is at risk. […] And it worries me a lot because I just know that there are men and women in uniform out there who rely on this information. There are parents and husbands and wives who rely on having the best information possible to keep their loved ones safe and to make sure that we maintain our national security and that home and away game advantage for years to come.”

    “Agency staff at every level have been demoralized and marginalized. When coupled with cuts to grants and fellowships and increased job insecurity, we are at a serious risk of alienating the next generation of scientists, policymakers, and leaders who would help the United States weather future storms,” said Elizabeth L. Lewis, Senior Associate Attorney, Eubanks & Associates. “NOAA simply cannot carry out its critical functions on limited staff, shrinking budgets, and aging equipment. Therefore, there is no doubt that if the Administration’s vision for NOAA becomes reality, American businesses will suffer, and even more tragically, lives will be lost.”

    “In the two months since [January 20], the administration has abdicated its citizen-granted authorities to Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on the planet, and this unelected, unaccountable billionaire has torn through agency after agency, destroying a public service infrastructure that took decades to build. And it’s clear that everyday Americans are not this administration’s priority,” said Sarah Schumann, Fisherman, and Owner/Principal Consultant, Shining Sea Fisheries Consulting, LLC. “All of the ambitious and visionary things that fishermen desperately need, the faster, more collaborative data collection and decision-making, the greater attention to the multitude of stressors affecting fishery habitats, the supports for young people to enter and thrive in fishing careers, will be vastly more difficult to achieve with a diminished and distressed NOAA workforce.”

    “I worked for The Weather Company, and there is no weather forecast that’s produced in this country that isn’t dependent on NOAA,” said Mary Glackin, retired NOAA official, American Meteorological Society. “In [Florida], we have 5.3 million acres of submerged lands that are managed through NOAA programs, and this is a combination of the Estuarine Research Reserves, the Coral Reef Conservation Project, the sanctuary that’s there, and coastal zone management. And why is this important to us? These areas safeguard water quality, buffer against storms and flooding, and provide critical habitat for fisheries and wildlife. They drive tourism and recreation, one of the prime economic drivers in Florida. They see over 100 million visitors annually for these world-class recreation activities, and without these programs, we are going to see increased pollution. Make no mistake about that. This could not be a worse time of year. We have the severe weather coming across. We haven’t seen our first hurricane yet, but I guarantee you it’s coming. And right now I fear that the only thing keeping us from real disaster is the heroic efforts of NOAA staff.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Magaziner, Natural Resources Committee Members Discuss Trump-Musk Attacks on NOAA with Expert Panelists at Issues Forum

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    April 03, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) and U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Members hosted an issues forum titled “Attacks on NOAA Threaten American Communities and Economies.” During this forum, the Members examined the dangerous consequences of the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to dismantle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Members and panelists warned that Trump and Musk’s attacks are calculated moves to silence scientists, privatize public services, and reward tax breaks to billionaires at the expense of the American people.

    [embedded content]

    “From farmers and first responders to entire coastal communities, NOAA is integral to protecting Americans’ safety and keeping our economy running,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “Today’s forum made one thing clear: the Trump administration’s reckless policies are not attacks on NOAA, but also attacks on public safety, good-paying jobs, and the scientific knowledge our communities depend on. By firing experts, slashing critical funding, and privatizing weather data, the administration is putting American lives at risk with the sole purpose of rewarding billionaires. Dismantling NOAA doesn’t just hurt public servants—it hurts everyone.”

    “Fishing is part of who we are in Rhode Island—and data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on weather, fish stocks, and more plays a critical role in protecting lives and livelihoods in the Ocean State,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I was proud to bring voices together and host today’s forum with House Natural Resources Committee Democrats to elevate local challenges and shine a light on the reckless cuts to NOAA by Trump and Musk that hurt the Ocean State and its coastal economy.”

    “Whether we call it climate change, sea level rise, or nuisance flooding, it is happening, and it is happening at an increased level, including in Maryland’s Third District. Our state is incredibly vulnerable to the impacts of unpredictable weather, which is why I want to thank NOAA staff for your service. House Democrats understand what you deliver for the American people every single day, and I apologize that you are not receiving the respect that you deserve,” said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth. 

    “In my district, extreme weather is already endangering critical infrastructure, including at Naval Base Ventura County and the Port of Hueneme, which are vital to both our security and local economy,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “Cuts to NOAA harm military readiness and weaken our community’s ability to respond to the growing dangers of climate change. NOAA’s forecasting, climate monitoring, and disaster response are essential to our resilience. By dismantling this agency, the Trump Administration is weakening disaster preparedness and putting communities across the country at greater risk of more destruction from frequent and severe natural disasters.”

    “Gutting NOAA will cost lives and livelihoods. For coastal states like Oregon, NOAA is a lifeline that keeps our economy resilient and our communities safe from climate-fueled disasters,” said Rep. Maxine Dexter.  “Thank you, Ranking Member Huffman, for spotlighting Elon Musk’s dangerous cuts and standing with us to protect science, safety, and coastal communities.” 

    “What this administration does not seem to understand is that science is how we understand the foundation of this world, how we prepare our constituents for weather events, our farmers for their work, and our communities to respond to a rapidly changing climate,” said Rep. Melanie Stansbury. “Cuts to this service will have severe consequences nationally and in my home state because we use the data from NOAA for everything. These mass firings will leave nothing behind but a mess that has undermined our ability to predict the weather with life or death consequences on the ground.”

    “The cuts to NOAA’s funding and workforce are thoughtless and jeopardize the safety of countless Oregonians,” said Rep. Val Hoyle. “NOAA’s ocean mapping and weather forecasting helps our commercial fisherman safely navigate dangerous ocean waters as they harvest fish that feed our country, and it also helps our wildland firefighters with advanced warnings on dangerous weather conditions. These forecasts help our communities and can be the difference between life and death. There is no reason to gut this agency which provides critical information that is integral to protecting every community in my district and across this country.”

    You can view a photo gallery here.

    ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

    NOAA plays a vital role in protecting lives and supporting livelihoods across the United States. Its forecasts and data support industries from agriculture to tourism, while providing life-saving alerts and environmental monitoring that keep communities safe. Every day, Americans rely on NOAA to help navigate floods, fires, hurricanes, and other climate-fueled disasters.

    Despite its critical mission, NOAA has become a primary target of the Trump administration and Musk’s DOGE. Since January, NOAA has faced an unprecedented wave of political interference: censorship of climate research, purging of expert staff, the shutdown of oversight committees, and forced layoffs impacting more than 800 employees. DOGE operatives have unlawfully accessed NOAA systems, including internal communications and grants databases, raising serious questions about data integrity and whistleblower retaliation.

    These actions have already disrupted NOAA’s core functions. Weather balloon launches have been reduced, community resilience programs scaled back or shuttered, and offices around the country remain closed. Meanwhile, extremist proposals to dismantle or privatize NOAA will put essential weather alerts and environmental data behind paywalls, endangering farmers, first responders, and coastal economies. House Democrats are committed to exposing this dangerous agenda and defending the public services that keep Americans safe and our economy strong.

    PANELIST QUOTES

    “We have no idea how NOAA will keep functioning with these budget cuts. We have no idea how much expertise and knowledge has been lost in these firings. We have no idea what else the Trump administration will do to destroy NOAA. And we have no idea who else is slated to be let go,” said Marce Gutiérrez-Graudinš, Founder and Executive Director, Azul. “To name just a few examples, Digital Coast helped Florida use high-level surface mapping to improve their flood vulnerability assessments. It helped Southern California collaborate on innovation projects for their renewable economy. It helped Northern Mariana Islands better prepare for tsunamis. It helped improve storm surge modeling for Caribbean disaster preparedness programs. It helped inform watershed management in Florida. It helped promote ecotourism in Virginia through watershed conservation. It helped analyze urban growth and flood risk in North Carolina. It helped lower flood insurance premiums in South Carolina. The list could go on and on. NOAA’s tools have helped every one of these communities and so many more. So what will happen when there’s no longer the budget for these tools, for the scientists, and the data experts who know how to use them? The unfortunate result is that communities will suffer across the U.S.”

    “In my last job in the Navy, I was the oceanographer and navigator of the Navy. Just as importantly, I was the Navy deputy to NOAA. That’s how important the Navy sees this relationship between our Navy and NOAA, in that they assign an admiral to be a deputy to the director of NOAA,” said RADM Jon White, USN (Ret.). “Without the NOAA information, without leading the world in this, then our national security and the safety of our men and women in uniform is at risk. […] And it worries me a lot because I just know that there are men and women in uniform out there who rely on this information. There are parents and husbands and wives who rely on having the best information possible to keep their loved ones safe and to make sure that we maintain our national security and that home and away game advantage for years to come.” 

    “Agency staff at every level have been demoralized and marginalized. When coupled with cuts to grants and fellowships and increased job insecurity, we are at a serious risk of alienating the next generation of scientists, policymakers, and leaders who would help the United States weather future storms,” said Elizabeth L. Lewis, Senior Associate Attorney, Eubanks & Associates. “NOAA simply cannot carry out its critical functions on limited staff, shrinking budgets, and aging equipment. Therefore, there is no doubt that if the Administration’s vision for NOAA becomes reality, American businesses will suffer, and even more tragically, lives will be lost.”

    “In the two months since [January 20], the administration has abdicated its citizen-granted authorities to Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on the planet, and this unelected, unaccountable billionaire has torn through agency after agency, destroying a public service infrastructure that took decades to build. And it’s clear that everyday Americans are not this administration’s priority,” said Sarah Schumann, Fisherman, and Owner/Principal Consultant, Shining Sea Fisheries Consulting, LLC. “All of the ambitious and visionary things that fishermen desperately need, the faster, more collaborative data collection and decision-making, the greater attention to the multitude of stressors affecting fishery habitats, the supports for young people to enter and thrive in fishing careers, will be vastly more difficult to achieve with a diminished and distressed NOAA workforce.”

    “I worked for The Weather Company, and there is no weather forecast that’s produced in this country that isn’t dependent on NOAA,” said Mary Glackin, retired NOAA official, American Meteorological Society. “In [Florida], we have 5.3 million acres of submerged lands that are managed through NOAA programs, and this is a combination of the Estuarine Research Reserves, the Coral Reef Conservation Project, the sanctuary that’s there, and coastal zone management. And why is this important to us? These areas safeguard water quality, buffer against storms and flooding, and provide critical habitat for fisheries and wildlife. They drive tourism and recreation, one of the prime economic drivers in Florida. They see over 100 million visitors annually for these world-class recreation activities, and without these programs, we are going to see increased pollution. Make no mistake about that. This could not be a worse time of year. We have the severe weather coming across. We haven’t seen our first hurricane yet, but I guarantee you it’s coming. And right now I fear that the only thing keeping us from real disaster is the heroic efforts of NOAA staff.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    “You cannot annex another country.” This was the clear message given by the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, at a recent press conference with the outgoing and incoming prime ministers of Greenland. It did not appear aimed at Russian president Vladimir Putin, but at Donald Trump, the president of one of her country’s closest allies, who has threatened to take over Greenland.

    Frederiksen, speaking in Greenland’s capitak Nuuk, was stating something that is obvious under international law but can no longer be taken for granted. US foreign policy under Trump has become a major driver of this uncertainty, playing into the hands of Russian, and potentially Chinese, territorial ambitions.

    The incoming Greenlandic prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, made it clear that it was for Greenlanders to determine their future, not the United States. Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark, makes its own domestic policy decisions. Polls suggest a majority of islanders want independence from Denmark in the future, but don’t want to be part of the US.

    Trump’s interest in Greenland is often associated with the island’s vast, but largely untapped, mineral resources. But its strategic location is arguably an even greater asset. Shipping routes through the Arctic have become more dependable and for longer periods of time during the year as a result of melting sea ice. The northwest passage (along the US and Canadian shorelines) and the northeast passage (along Russia’s Arctic coast) are often ice free now during the summer.


    Breaking the Ice: Arctic Development and Maritime Transportation, ArcticPortal.org

    This has increased opportunities for commercial shipping. For example, the distance for a container ship from Asia to Europe through the northeast passage can be up to three times shorter, compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal or around Africa.

    Similarly, the northwest passage offers the shortest route between the east coast of the United States and Alaska. Add to that the likely substantial resources that the Arctic has, from oil and gas to minerals, and the entire region is beginning to look like a giant real estate deal in the making.

    Arctic assets

    The economic promise of the Arctic, and particularly the region’s greater accessibility, have also heightened military and security sensitivities.

    The day before J.D. Vance’s visit to Greenland on March 28, Vladimir Putin, gave a speech at the sixth international Arctic forum in Murmansk in Russia’s high north, warning of increased geopolitical rivalry.

    While he claimed that “Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic”, he was also quick to emphasise that Moscow was “enhancing the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces, and modernising military infrastructure facilities” in the Arctic.

    Equally worrying, Russia has increased its naval cooperation with China and given Beijing access, and a stake, in the Arctic. In April 2024, the two countries’ navies signed a cooperation agreement on search and rescue missions on the high seas.


    National Snow & Ice Data Center, Arctic Portal

    In September 2024, China participated in Russia’s largest naval manoeuvres in the post-cold war era, Ocean-2024, which were conducted in north Pacific and Arctic waters. The following month, Russian and Chinese coastguard vessels conducted their first joint patrol in the Arctic. Vance, therefore, has a point when he urges Greenland and Denmark to cut a deal with the US because the “island isn’t safe”.

    That the Russia-China partnership has resulted in an increasingly military presence in the Arctic has not gone unnoticed in the west. Worried about the security of its Arctic territories, Canada has just announced a C$6 billion (£3.2 billion) upgrade to facilities in the North American Aerospace Defense Command it operates jointly with the United States.

    It will also acquire more submarines, icebreakers and fighter jets to bolster its Arctic defences and invest a further C$420 million (£228 million) into a greater presence of its armed forces.



    Read more:
    Arctic breakdown: what climate change in the far north means for the rest of us

    Svalbard’s future role?

    Norway has similarly boosted its defence presence in the Arctic, especially in relation to the Svalbard archipelago (strategically located between the Norwegian mainland and the Arctic Circle). This has prompted an angry response from Russia, wrongly claiming that Oslo was in violation of the 1920 Svalbard Treaty which awarded the archipelago to Norway with the proviso that it must not become host to Norwegian military bases.

    Under the treaty, Russia has a right to a civilian presence there. The “commission on ensuring Russia’s presence on the archipelago Spitzbergen”, the name Moscow uses for Svalbard is chaired by Russian deputy prime minister Yury Trutnev, who is also Putin’s envoy to the far eastern federal district. Trutnev has repeatedly complained about undue Norwegian restrictions on Russia’s presence in Svalbard.

    From the Kremlin’s perspective, this is less about Russia’s historical rights on Svalbard and more about Norway’s – and Nato’s – presence in a strategic location at the nexus of the Greenland, Barents and Norwegian seas. From there, maritime traffic along Russia’s northeast passage can be monitored. If, and when, a central Arctic shipping route becomes viable, which would pass between Greenland and Svalbard, the strategic importance of the archipelago would increase further.

    From Washington’s perspective, Greenland is more important because of its closer proximity to the US. But Svalbard is critical to Nato for monitoring and countering Russian, and potentially Chinese, naval activities. This bigger picture tends to get lost in Trump’s White House, which is more concerned with its own immediate neighbourhood and cares less about regional security leadership.

    Consequently, there has been no suggestion – so far – that the US needs to have Svalbard in the same way that Trump claims he needs Greenland to ensure US security. Nor has Russia issued any specific threats to Svalbard. But it was noticeable that Putin in his speech at the Arctic forum discussed historical territorial issues, including an obscure 1910 proposal for a land swap between the US, Denmark and Germany involving Greenland.

    Putin also noted “that Nato countries are increasingly often designating the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts”. It is not difficult to see Moscow’s logic: if the US can claim Greenland for security reasons, Russia should do the same with Svalbard.

    The conclusion to draw from this is not that Trump should aim to annex a sovereign Norwegian island next. Maritime geography in the north Atlantic underscores the importance of maintaining and strengthening long-established alliances.

    Investing in expanded security cooperation with Denmark and Norway as part of Nato would secure US interests closer to home and send a strong message to Russia. It would also signal to the wider world that the US is not about to initiate a territorial reordering of global politics to suit exclusively the interests of Moscow, Beijing and Washington.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    – ref. US and Russia squabble over Arctic security as melting ice opens up shipping routes – https://theconversation.com/us-and-russia-squabble-over-arctic-security-as-melting-ice-opens-up-shipping-routes-253493

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Monitoring continues after disease threatens native species

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Monitoring continues after disease threatens native species

    The Environment Agency is continuing to monitor a disease outbreak which is putting the future of the native white clawed crayfish on the River Ure at risk.

    Images shows a native white clawed crayfish

    Crayfish plague, which is normally spread by invasive American signal crayfish, is deadly for the native species and can quickly wipe out populations.

    It was first discovered in late 2020 upstream of Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales, and the Environment Agency has since been monitoring the spread.  

    While the majority of the native species in the main river has been lost, so far, some populations of white-clawed crayfish in tributaries remain unaffected.

    Obstructions such as weirs and waterfalls create barriers that break up the native crayfish populations, preventing the plague from spreading.

    Crayfish plague spores can be easily moved from one part of a river to another or between river catchments via boots, clothes and equipment, so people are being urged to play their part by following ‘check, clean, dry’ advice to help stop the spread.

    In this case, there is no evidence of the signal crayfish in the river above the waterfalls, which means it’s likely the disease spores were brought to the River Ure via another route.

    Plague has been ‘moving through the catchment’

    Tim Selway, Environment Agency biodiversity specialist and crayfish expert, said:

    With so few populations of native crayfish remaining across the country, we must do everything we can to protect the future of the species.

    We’ve been monitoring the spread of crayfish plague on the River Ure since it was first discovered, and it has been moving through the catchment. Thankfully, it hasn’t affected all populations of the native species.

    We want to make sure it stays this way. People should follow advice to make sure the disease is not spread to currently unaffected tributaries.

    If the plague does spread into the unaffected tributaries, the Environment Agency would look to create ‘ark’ sites, where unaffected crayfish could be moved to safety. 

    Check, clean, dry advice

    People should follow ‘check, clean and dry’ advice to make sure they check their boots and equipment, clean them and give them time to dry before moving between different rivers or tributaries.

    Tim added:

    This situation shows just how easy it is to spread a fatal disease which can put at risk an endangered population.

    I would urge people to think before they go into a watercourse – are their boots cleaned from previous walks or have they cleaned their water sports or fishing equipment, for example? All of this really matters.

    The Environment Agency and Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which hosts the Yorkshire Crayfish Forum, and the Yorkshire Invasive Species Forum to tackle this threat.

    Marie Taylor, chief executive of Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, added:

    The spread of crayfish plague to an area of the Ure catchment where, to our knowledge, the invasive American signal crayfish isn’t present is a serious cause for concern.

    This highlights the urgent need for strict biosecurity measures, as natural barriers alone are not sufficient to prevent the devastating impacts of this invasive species.

    We strongly urge all river users, anglers, and outdoor activity organisers to take proactive steps in preventing further spread. If you require guidance on biosecurity best practices or need biosecurity equipment for organised water-based activities, we are here to help.

    Please visit our website for guidance or contact us directly via email at enquiries@ydrt.co.uk to discuss how we can support your event and help safeguard our rivers.

    Native species has struggled to survive

    Rare white-clawed crayfish are the UK’s only native, freshwater crayfish, and are most at risk from the American signal crayfish, which spread crayfish plague and out compete the native species. 

    They have struggled to survive after the more aggressive signal crayfish population has taken hold across the country, spreading crayfish plague as they go.

    The endangered white-clawed crayfish plays a vital role in keeping waterways clean and as a source of food for other native species.

    Anything that has contact with the water and riverbank needs to be cleaned thoroughly and dried until it has been dry for 48 hours.

    If this is not possible, cleaning and the use of an environmentally-friendly aquatic disinfectant is recommended. This helps prevent the spread of aquatic diseases and invasive species.

    More information about ‘check, clean, dry’ can be found on the invasive non-native species (INNS) website.

    If you see any crayfish, alive or dead, leave it where it is and report it immediately to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.

    If possible, take close-up photos of the crayfish to help identify the species. It is illegal to handle or remove crayfish from the water without the correct licences.   

    Sightings of the invasive American signal crayfish can also be recorded via the INNS Mapper App, which can be downloaded for android and iPhone via the app store. More details can be found at the INNS Mapper website.

    Find out more about the work to save Yorkshire’s native white clawed crayfish.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Londoners’ chance to nurture nature

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Londoners’ chance to nurture nature

    Spring sunshine on time for ‘happy’ outdoor events

    Walkers stepping out for their health and wellbeing, as part of the Natural England Happier Outdoors Festival. Photo: Sally Oldfield

    Groucho Marx said: “Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

    And with the warm spring sunshine greeted by so many like a long-lost friend, Londoners are being urged to get outside and connect with so-called green and blue spaces.

    Over the next 2 weeks, the Happier Outdoors Festival highlights the chance to discover the London you might not know. The capital’s hidden nature nuggets rubbing shoulders with the hustle and bustle of city life.

    With green land and waterways making up about half of Greater London, there is every reason to mark the return of longer, lighter days by feeling, embracing and being part of nature.  

    But one in 5 Londoners say they haven’t recently visited a green space, lower than any region in England [i]

    More than 70 classes, groups and sessions make up the city celebration of the great outdoors – a mix of walks, clubs and events to relax or educate the mind and improve both your physical and mental state.

    From Tai Chi classes in Harrow or counting bird numbers in Haringey, to taking a gentle stroll around woods and gardens in Lewisham or Croydon, building hotels for bugs in Barnet, and maybe putting your back into some organised gardening in Ealing.       

    Laura Brown, Natural England’s lead health adviser for London, said:

    “The importance of open spaces cannot be underestimated. Nature can relax us, educate us, and help reduce anxiety and depression.

    “We know there are countless benefits to connecting with nature – it makes us feel better, physically and mentally. The second Happier Outdoors Festival builds on last year, promoting the connection between people and urban nature.

    “I’m excited for Londoners to discover natural spaces just minutes from their home or be inspired by a new outdoor hobby they had never considered before.”

    Natural England founded the Happier Outdoors network, a group of more than 30 organisations running events to encourage people in London to connect with nature for improved health and wellbeing. 

    All events are free, and have either been arranged especially for the festival or continue throughout the year.

    A full list of what’s on and how to get involved can be found at https://happieroutdoors.london/. The Happier Outdoors Festival runs between 7 and 16 April.

    The clarion call to get outside comes as a wide-ranging survey opens into how exposure to natural spaces affects people’s health, behaviour and attitude to the environment over an extended period of time.     

    The three-year study will involve a sample of approximately 18,000 adults across the country, in a partnership between Natural England, the University of Exeter and the Natural Environment Research Council, and developed by organisations from a range of sectors.

    [i] The People and Nature Survey for England 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-surveys-for-england-adults-data-y5q2-july-2024-september-2024.

    Contact us:

    Journalists only: 0800 141 2743 or communications_se@environment-agency.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The Republic of Congo’s reliance on fossil fuels: a threat to climate, biodiversity and human rights.

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Kinshasa, April 3, 2025 – At a time when the planet is facing an unprecedented climate emergency, the Republic of Congo has announced a drastic increase in its oil production. At the Energy and Investment Forum (CEIF), held in Kintélé on March 25 and 26, the government unveiled its ambition to increase national production to 500,000 barrels per day by the end of 2025, almost double the current level. A decision that Greenpeace Africa denounces as a direct threat to the environment, climate commitments and the rights of Indigenous People and local communities.

    A risky gamble in the midst of the climate crisis

    At a time when experts are warning of the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, Congo is opting for the opposite strategy. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), no new oil projects should see the light of day if the goal of zero net emissions by 2050 is to be achieved. Yet Congo, which currently produces 270,000 barrels/day, is persisting with plans to almost double production in less than a year, a decision that directly contradicts its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which call for a 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, subject to international support.

    An ecological disaster in the making

    The environmental cost of this expansion would be colossal. The Congo Basin is the world’s second largest tropical rainforest. Stretching over 3.7 million square kilometers and encompassing six countries, this region plays a crucial role in regulating the world’s climate, storing around 30 billion tons of carbon – the equivalent of three years’ global emissions. Oil development threatens this carbon sink and, in particular, the Conkouati-Douli National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve that protects over 5,000 square kilometers of terrestrial and marine biodiversity. The park is home to endangered species such as forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, manatees and three species of marine turtle on the IUCN red list. 

    The extension of oil blocks on the outskirts of Conkouati-Douli National Park presents a major threat to biodiversity. In addition to fragmenting ecosystems, polluting water resources and accelerating deforestation, this expansion calls into question the Republic of Congo’s international commitments. As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Framework for Biodiversity, the country has pledged to protect at least 30% of its land and marine areas by 2030 (the “30×30” target). However, by promoting the exploitation of fossil fuels in these sensitive areas, the government is going back on its commitments and setting a worrying precedent for other resource-rich countries.

    An underestimated human impact

    Beyond the environmental devastation, oil expansion directly threatens the livelihoods of local populations. More than 30,000 people living in and around Conkouati-Douli National Park risk losing access to drinking water, sustainable fishing grounds and resources essential to their survival. Past experience shows that these projects are not without human consequences. In 2024, a Greenpeace Africa mission to Lokolama, DRC, highlighted the devastating effects of oil exploitation: arbitrary detentions, extortion, forced displacement and brutal repression of indigenous voices. Without urgent strengthening of legal safeguards and genuine protection of community rights, these abuses are likely to recur on a massive scale.

    The illusion of oil as an engine for development

    Congo’s oil expansion is often justified by its low electrification rate, which stands at just 12% in rural areas and 49% in urban areas. But the facts contradict this pseudo-logic: in many countries, the oil industry has never been able to bring affordable energy to the most vulnerable populations.  Conversely, renewable energy – led by solar and wind power – offers a faster, more sustainable and, above all, more accessible alternative for isolated communities. According to several studies, every dollar invested in green energy generates three times as many jobs as in fossil fuels. These are all arguments that should weigh heavily in the balance of any country concerned about its long-term economic development.

    What about the Congo’s international commitments?

    With this expansion, the Congo is in contradiction with several major international agreements:

    • The Paris Agreement (2015), which aims to limit global warming to below 1.5°C
    • The Convention on Biological Diversity, which requires countries to protect critical habitats
    • The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which affirms the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) before any industrial development on ancestral lands 
    • The Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), which calls for the protection of 30% of land and oceans by 2030.

    Greenpeace Africa calls for a change of course 

    In view of this situation, Greenpeace Africa strongly urges :

    • The Congolese government to immediately halt oil exploration and production in protected areas
    • Investors and financial institutions to stop financing oil projects in biodiversity hotspots
    • The African Union to adopt a firm position in favor of a fair energy transition
    • International donors to prioritize support for renewable energy and conservation projects

    Dismayed by this latest blow to the fight for climate justice in the Congo Basin, Greenpeace Africa’s Dr. Lamfu Fabrice commented: 

     “Congo’s attempt to become a fossil fuel hub is irresponsible and short-sighted. It betrays the country’s climate goals, endangers biodiversity and sacrifices the rights and future of its people for immediate gains.”

    “As the international community prepares for the upcoming climate talks – COP30, any decisions taken today will weigh heavily on the future of the continent and the world. Now is not the time for promises, but for concrete action”, concluded DR Lamfu.

    END

    For Media Inquiries, Contact:

    Raphael Mavambu, Communication and Media, Greenpeace Africa, [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 4.3.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Apr 3, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Trista H. Woessner-Gonzalez, of Granite Bay, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, where she has served in several roles including as Chief Deputy Director since 2021 and as Chief of the Tax Policy Bureau from 2016 to 2021. Woessner-Gonzalez held several positions at the California State Board of Equalization from 1992 to 2016, including CROS Business Project Manager, Procurement Manager, Audit and Information Section Supervisor, Tax Policy Division Technical Advisor, Audit Support Unit Supervisor, Audit Support Specialist, Audit Reviewer, and Sales and Use Tax Auditor. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Chico. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $160,428. Woessner-Gonzalez is a Democrat. 

    James Hacker, of Sacramento, has been appointed Undersecretary of the California State Transportation Agency. Hacker has been a Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Office of Governor Newsom since 2023. He was a Principal Consultant at the California State Senate Budget Committee from 2017 to 2023. Hacker was a Finance Budget Analyst at the California Department of Finance from 2015 to 2017. He was a Fiscal and Policy Analyst in the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 2014 to 2015. He was a Consultant at Deloitte from 2009 to 2013. Hacker earned a Master of Public Administration degree in Energy and Environmental Policy from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs and Economics from George Washington University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $218,388. Hacker is a Democrat.

    Emily Desai, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Desai has been Senior Deputy Director for Strategic Program Planning and External Affairs at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development since 2024, where she has held several roles since 2019, including Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade, Trade and Investment Representative for Europe, Middle East, and India, and Special Advisor of International Affairs and Investment. She was Senior Project Manager of International Affairs and Trade for the Government Accountability Office from 2014 to 2019. Desai was a Senior Policy Analyst for the Pacific Institute and the United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate in 2014. She was a Senior Associate at the Nonprofit Finance Fund from 2010 to 2012. Desai is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the State International Development Organization, and a member of the United States Investment Advisory Council and the United States Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on International Trade. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and International Business from the University of Arizona. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $190,536. Desai is a Democrat.

    Trisha Smith, of Antelope, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Administrative Services at the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where she has held multiple positions since 2015 including Assistant Deputy Secretary, Human Resources, Assistant Human Resources Director, and Staff Services Manager II. Smith held multiple roles at the California Department of Human Resources from 2009 to 2015, including Personnel Officer and Personnel Program Analyst. She held multiple positions at California Highway Patrol from 1994 to 2009, including Associate Personnel Analyst, Staff Services Analyst, Personnel Supervisor, Personnel Specialist and Office Assistant. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $160,048. Smith is a Democrat.

    David Wesley, of San Diego, has been appointed Deputy Chief of Enforcement at the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Department of Industrial Relations. Wesley has been Assistant Deputy Chief at the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the Department of Industrial Relations since 2022, where he has held several roles since 2017, including Senior Safety Engineer and Associate Safety Engineer. He was the Radiation Safety Officer at the University of Southern California from 2007 to 2017. Wesley was the Radiation Safety Officer at University of California, Riverside from 2004 to 2007. He held several roles at the California Department of Health Services from 1993 to 2003, including Chef of Radioactive Materials Licensing, Chief of the Licensing Projects Unit, and Associate Health Physicist. Wesley held multiple roles in the United States Air Force from 1987 to 1992, including Chief of Nuclear Quality Assurance and Aircraft Nuclear Safety Engineer. He earned a Master of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $192,108. Wesley is a Republican.

    Press Releases, Recent News

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    Apr 3, 2025

    News What you need to know: The Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force released a list of 25 key deliverables to build on the state’s ongoing efforts to protect Californians from increasing threats posed by catastrophic wildfire and a changing climate….

    Apr 3, 2025

    News What you need to know: Since March 2024, Governor Newsom’s joint Bay Area operation efforts have yielded 3,217 stolen vehicles recovered, 1,823 suspects arrested, and 170 illicit firearms seized. Sacramento, California – Continuing to provide collaborative public…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CABINET DECISION [FK] – JANUARY AND EARLY FEBRUARY 2025

    Source: Government of Samoa

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    PRESS RELEASES FROM CABINET: JANUARY TO BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2025

    1: MINISTRY OF CUSTOMS AND REVENUE SEPARATED

    Cabinet has approved the separation of the Ministry of Customs and Revenue into two Ministries. This includes;

    i. Ministry of Customs.

    ii. Ministry of Revenue.

    Border protection remains a significant component of national efforts to combat transnational organized crimes such as illicit drugs and arms smuggling and trafficking, and all other unlawful activities targeted to penetrate our national borders. This requires effective customs monitoring of all goods entering our borders.

    At the same time, revenue collection through compliance with Samoa’s taxation laws is important. These functional responsibilities are currently undertaken by the Ministry for Customs and Revenue. However, the separation will enable demarcation of Customs functions from Revenue collection functions, with emphasis on effective compliance and border protection.

    Relevant preparations are currently underway for implementation including legislative, staffing, and budgetary requirements. The separation will be effective from the next Financial Year 2025-2026.

    2: MINISTRY OF POLICE, PRISONS AND CORRECTIONS SERVICE SEPARATED

    Cabinet has approved the demarcation of the Ministry of Police from Prisons and Corrections Service. The two agencies were initially seceded in January 2015 as a result of government organisational reforms and departmental arrangements. The Samoa Prisons and Corrections Service operated for four years until 2020 when Parliament passed a legislative amendment to the Prisons and Corrections Service Act, signaling to re-merger of the Ministry of Police, Prisons and Corrections Service. This was in response to ongoing systemic and operational challenges which impacted the Samoa Prisons and Corrections Service.

    The distinct functions of the Police and Prisons and Corrections Services are critical, but separate in priorities and legislative focus. This separation will enable the Police to focus on law enforcement and security, and the Prisons and Corrections Service to prioritize prisons and corrections rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for inmates, and improved prison and access services such as medical support.

    Preparations are in progress to ensure the separation takes effect as scheduled for the 2025-2026 financial year.

    3: MOU SIGNED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENTS IN INDIA

    Cabinet has approved the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Samoa’s Ministry of Health and the Medican Services Company, to coordinate medical treatments for Samoan patients referred under the Samoa Medical Treatment Scheme for treatments in India. The two hospitals included in these MOU are the Artemis Medicare Services Limited and Fortis Hospital Limited, which are based in India. This expands the existing network of hospitals supporting Samoa’s Overseas Medical Treatment Scheme.

    The inclusion of the two hospitals will provide more options for Samoa to effectively place Samoan patients in facilities that not only offer the required treatment, but also ensure cost-effectiveness.

    4: TELECOMMUNICATION LICENSE FOR SPACEX TO OPERATE IN SAMOA

    Approval has been granted to issue telecommunication license to an American Company ‘Space Exploration Technologies Corp’ or SpaceX to operate in Samoa, following thorough assessment conducted by the Office of the Regulator. This license allows Starlink Samoa Ltd, a subsidiary of SpaceX registered in Samoa, to provide Internet services and relevant equipment for Samoa. Starlink Samoa Limited is a new venture added to current Internet service providers in Samoa including the Computer Services Limited, Digicel, and Vodafone.

    Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is critical to improving telecommunication, online systemic support, timely and effective service delivery, boosting support for education and health, science and research, and business and innovation. Government is committed to bolstering ICT services for Samoa that are reliable, consistent and affordable.

    Negotiation with Starlink led by the Office of the Regulator has completed, which now enables users in Samoa to purchase equipment and to pay monthly subscriptions in Samoan Tala. An alternative is also available to those who prefer to pay their subscriptions in cash, if they do not have the means to do online purchase.

    5: EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) FRAMEWORK APPROVED

    Cabinet has approved the Framework for Early Childhood Development. This framework, has been designed in a multi-sectoral approach, laying the groundwork for a coordinated effort to improve early childhood development throughout Samoa.

    The ECD Framework provides for the creation of a National ECD Advisory Board, responsible for overseeing the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the framework. This board will include representatives from key ministries, such as the Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development (MWCSD), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Their collaborative efforts will ensure a unified strategy that integrates health, education, and social services for young children.

    The ECD Framework establishes a transformative pathway forward, ensuring that the youngest members of Samoa’s society have access to the necessary resources and support to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

    6: NATIONAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION POLICY APPROVED

    The first National Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy for Samoa was approved by Cabinet this week. The Policy aims to leverage science and technology through research and innovation.

    It is designed to enhance students’ access to scientific equipment and technology to advance scientific research and innovation. It seeks to create more opportunities for Samoa through strong scientific methodologies, technology and innovation to support national development priorities.

    The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) and the National University of Samoa (NUS) co-lead the implementation of this policy in partnership with other government, private and civil society organistions in Samoa.

    7: NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION POLICY APPROVED

    Cabinet at its meeting this week approved the National Crime Prevention Policy. The policy is being developed to strengthen strategic areas and measures, systems and programmes designed to prevent crimes. The Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration is the lead agency working closely with government, private and non government organisations in the Law and Justice Sector.

    The Policy requires review of current legislation in view of enforcement and statutory penalites. It also targets counseling and educational programmes customized for crime prevention, public awareness, assistance for victims, and repercussions for perpetrators.

    The policy calls for national participation and commitment to address crime prevalence in Samoa. Partnerships among government, private, civil society, churhces and village councils is central to the successful implementation of this policy.

    ** END **

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: SEACOR Marine and Proceanic Earn NOIA Safety in Seas Awards

    Source: National Ocean Industries Association – NOIA

    Headline: SEACOR Marine and Proceanic Earn NOIA Safety in Seas Awards

    SEACOR Marine and Proceanic Earn NOIA Safety in Seas AwardsSEACOR Marine wins the Culture of Safety Award, Proceanic earns the Safety Practice Award
    Washington, D.C., – The National Ocean Industries Association is pleased to announce SEACOR Marine and Proceanic are winners of the 2025 NOIA Safety in Seas Award Competition. SEACOR Marine is the Culture of Safety winner while Proceanic won the Safety Practice award.
    The Culture of Safety Award honors overall organizational immersion in and commitment to safety, which has resulted in remarkable, measurable, and sustained safety performance over a prolonged period of time. The Safety Practice Award recognizes specific technologies, approaches, methods, or projects with direct and demonstrable impacts on improving safety.
    NOIA President Erik Milito congratulated SEACOR Marine and Proceanic saying, “The Safety in Seas awards spotlight an industry-wide truth: safety isn’t just a priority—it’s the heartbeat of what we do. SEACOR Marine and Proceanic exemplify this ethos with extraordinary resolve. SEACOR’s relentless safety culture, driven by innovative tools and a zero-incident vision, and Proceanic’s pioneering Mini-ROV inspections, safeguarding lives and assets with remarkable precision, reflect the best of our collective mission. Their leadership amplifies a broader tide of excellence, where every company, every worker, and every breakthrough pushes us toward a safer, stronger offshore future. We honor them, and we extend our deepest gratitude to all entrants—each one a vital contributor to a safer, more resilient offshore industry.”
    SEACOR Marine CEO John Gellert commented, “We are proud to be recognized for our culture of safety, which reflects our ongoing commitment to protect the health and welfare of our employees, contractors, suppliers and the broader community. We believe that our commitment to a GOAL ZERO, incident-free environment is a shared responsibility across all levels of the organization, and we empower every individual with Stop Work Authority to ensure a culture of accountability. We will continue to develop, revise and implement policies and procedures to foster the safest possible work environment, maintaining our commitment to ensuring that safety remains at the heart of our operations.”
    Mark Waller, CEO of the Proceanic Group of Companies said, “It gives me great pleasure to accept this recognition from NOIA on behalf of Proceanic. The tireless work of our ROV Teams offshore, and the mission critical onshore support teams is what makes Proceanic successful. The ingenuity and innovation of our engineering personnel is what makes the work rewarding and keeps us at the industry forefront. The confidence placed in Proceanic by our Clients is what makes everything possible. We will continue to work, every day, to maintain that success, maintain that confidence and to keep it being rewarding for all.”
    About the SEACOR Marine Culture of Safety Entry
    SEACOR Marine has been honored in the 2025 NOIA Safety in Seas awards for its exemplary safety culture, anchored by a robust Safety Management System (SMS) and innovative programs like PAUSE (Prevent Accidents Use Safety Equipment). With an impeccable audit record, prestigious ISO certifications, and a data-driven approach—logging over 117,000 behavioral safety observations in 2024 alone—SEACOR Marine sets a gold standard for offshore safety. Initiatives like the PAUSE Champion and Goal Zero awards, alongside cutting-edge risk assessment tools, empower employees and drive zero-incident milestones, with 18 vessels achieving Goal Zero in 2024. This dynamic, people-first framework not only transforms SEACOR Marine’s operations but offers a scalable model for industry-wide safety excellence.
    About the Proceanic Safety Practice Entry
    Proceanic’s Underwater Remote (Mini-ROV) Inspection Services program has been celebrated in the 2025 NOIA Safety in Seas awards for improving underwater inspections in the offshore energy sector. By leveraging advanced Mini-ROV technology and innovative tooling, Proceanic delivers high inspection quality while drastically reducing risks to personnel, assets, and the environment compared to traditional diver and Work-Class ROV methods. With a 12-year, 350+ Campaign, incident-free record founded on a robust Safety Management System, the program has prevented potential catastrophes by identifying critical structural and equipment defects on platforms and floating assets, removing divers from (sometimes unexpectedly) unsafe work locations, reducing risk and carbon footprint related to Dive Support Vessels and Work-Class ROV Support Vessls. The program offers adaptable solutions across oil, gas, maritime, and emerging offshore wind industries. From cavitation cleaning to 3D photogrammetry. Proceanic’s pioneering approach sets a new benchmark for safety, reliability, and innovation.
    About the Safety in Seas Judging Process
    The judging panel, consisting of independent offshore safety consultants, as well as representatives from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and the Ocean Energy Safety Institute, reviewed each entry and then debated their merits on March 10, 2025.
    NOIA has held the SIS awards competition since 1978 to recognize those who contribute to improving the safety of life in the offshore energy industry. The awards are sponsored by Compass Publications.
    About SEACOR Marine
    SEACOR Marine provides global marine and support transportation services to offshore energy facilities worldwide. SEACOR Marine operates and manages a diverse fleet of offshore support vessels that deliver cargo and personnel to offshore installations, including offshore wind farms; assist offshore operations for production and storage facilities; provide construction, well work-over, offshore wind farm installation and decommissioning support and carry and launch equipment used underwater in drilling and well installation, maintenance, inspection and repair for offshore rigs and platforms. Additionally, SEACOR Marine’s vessels provide emergency response services and accommodations for technicians and specialists.
    For further information about SEACOR Marine’s sustainability practices and ESG initiatives, or to view its diverse energy-efficient fleet of offshore support vessels, please visit www.seacormarine.com.
    About Proceanic
    Proceanic is a full-service, Engineering, Project Management, & Underwater ROV Inspection Company, providing innovative & proven technical services to the Offshore & Maritime Industries.
    Established in 2002, the Proceanic group of companies has become a reliable international service provider. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, and with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Brazil, and representation in Nigeria, Indonesia, and Mexico.
    Engineering and ROV teams are readily deployable to any international destination, positioning Proceanic to effectively support clients and projects globally.
    Visit www.proceanic.com/ to learn more about the company.
    About NOIA
    The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.The post SEACOR Marine and Proceanic Earn NOIA Safety in Seas Awards appeared first on NOIA.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Philippines: State-sponsored online harassment has “chilling effect” on young human rights defenders  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    *Names changed to protect identity   

    Amnesty International’s first ever youth-led report reveals that online harassment by the Philippine authorities, including the practice of “red-tagging” or labelling individuals as communists, creates a climate of fear that is deterring young human rights defenders from engaging in activism and expressing themselves freely. 

    In the report, “Left to their own devices: The chilling effects of online harassment among young human rights defenders (YHRDs) in the Philippines,” young activists aged 18 to 24 shared experiences of being red-tagged, doxed with personal information published online without their consent, and trolled. They describe how online harassment has led to self-censorship, infringed their rights to freedom of expression and association, and in some cases, forced them to abandon their work as activists or journalists. 

    “The chilling effect of online harassment severely impairs the rights of these young human rights defenders. It not only threatens the individual, but also undermines their capacity to do their work to defend human rights. 

    Mia Tonogbanua, Amnesty Philippines Vice-Chairperson and former Youth Board Representative. 

    The report highlights how young activists’ age, sexual orientation, student status and institutional affiliations magnify the risks and impact of online harassment that they experience. 

    This current research is part of RightUp, Amnesty International’s first youth-led research project in which young voices, often overlooked in traditional human rights work, take centre stage. Nine young researchers documented and investigated the experiences of YHRDs through desk research, an online questionnaire, and interviews with young people aged 18 to 24. Amnesty International provided resources, guidance, and technical support. 

    Death threats, self-censorship and fear 

    State-sponsored online harassment has had disturbing effects on young activists. They describe suffering psychological distress, being isolated from families and social circles and feeling that their contribution to human rights work was devalued.  

    Habagat*, a student activist, received death threats after being publicly red-tagged on the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) Facebook page. 

    “I couldn’t sleep properly for three weeks after it happened,” he recalled. “I was constantly afraid for my safety.”  

    NTF-ELCAC is a task force established by Philippine government in 2018 as part of its response to the ongoing communist insurgency in the country. Since its creation, it has been criticized by activists and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, for engaging in red-tagging. 

    Environmental defender Marisol* said she had resorted to “playing it safe” and self-censorship to minimize backlash over controversial issues. However, this approach has left her conflicted: “It’s like you’re not taking a stand on what needs to be done.” 

    Sarita*, a young advocate for peace and security in southern Philippines, said online harassment “made me feel so weak, so inferior compared to these politicians with all the powers that they have.” 

    Online harassment affects various rights, including the right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly, health, remedy, non-discrimination and the right to defend human rights. 

    Young activists also spoke of a pervasive fear of participating in public discussions. Some of the YHRDs attributed this to concerns about reprisals from the authorities in the form of online harassment. Many expressed doubts about the value of their voices and expertise as young people in the face of violence and hatred in online spaces. 

    A call for collective action and accountability 

    Despite these challenges, YHRDs have found ways to adapt their approach to ensure they can continue their human rights advocacy. These include establishing internal well-being committees, enforcing safety protocols, and accessing mental health services.  

    “Being a young human rights defender in the Philippines is not safe, comfortable, or ideal. Yet…young activists continue to fight, spurred onwards by strategies for care and commitment to justice.  

    Mia Tonogbanua Amnesty Philippines Vice-Chairperson and former Youth Board Representative

    The Philippine government has consistently failed to fulfill its obligations to protect the rights of human rights defenders in the country. Perpetrators of online harassment are not effectively held accountable, while YHRDs must cope with the consequences of this harassment without sufficient support or protection. 

    At the time of publication, the Philippine government had not responded to a request for comment on the findings of Amnesty’s report. 

    Amnesty International urges the Philippine government to end state-sponsored red-tagging, intimidation, harassment, threats or attacks against activists, including young human rights defenders. 

    This research builds on findings of previous Amnesty International investigations, including how the two successive governments of President Duterte and President Marcos Jr have weaponized digital tools, misinformation and vague anti-terror laws to create a climate of fear and intimidation among young human rights defenders in the Philippines. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City centre walking and cycling infrastructure project reaches its conclusion

    Source: City of Manchester

    Works to significantly improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists along Deansgate have now been completed.

    From Friday, April 4, the newly installed cycle lane and upgraded pedestrian crossings will be fully open to the public, running from the Chester Road roundabout to the junction of Deansgate and Quay Street.

    The installation of this infrastructure project – under the banner of the Deansgate and Whitworth Street West Active Travel scheme – now links with the recently completed Manchester to Chorlton Cycleway, creating an entirely segregated cycle route from south Manchester into the heart of the city centre.

    Click here to find out more about the Deansgate and Whitworth Street West Active Travel scheme.

    Also, additional improvements have been made for pedestrians, with new and improved crossing points and street furniture to make it safer for people to travel in and around the city centre, along one of Manchester’s busiest streets.

    The completion of this project also now creates a unified link along the entire length of Deansgate, with infrastructure now mirroring the improvements made to the upper section of the road several years ago.

    Discussions are ongoing regarding the final use of the space which runs parallel to Great Northern Warehouse, details which will be made public in due course, however the Council is committed to ensuring that it serves as a beneficial space for the residents and businesses who reside in the area.

    Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “I am pleased that this new infrastructure is now in place, finally creating a uniform and cohesive link with runs the entire length of Deansgate and connects the city centre with other established cycle facilities.

    “As a Council we are committed to putting measures in place that will, over time, change the way we think about transport. We want to empower people to make different choices when it comes to transport, and putting in the right kind of infrastructure is central to that ambition.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Global experts meet in Sendai, Japan, to bridge knowledge and technology gaps in disaster risk reduction

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Experts from around the world met in Sendai, Japan, on 8 March 2025 to explore how emerging and disruptive technologies can reshape disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience-building, particularly in the Global South. 

    The ‘Leveraging Emerging and Disruptive Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): Bridging Science, Technology, Academia, and Private Sector Nexus’ workshop, on the sidelines of the World Bosai Forum, brought together national and local governments, academia, the private sector, and financial institutions to overcome barriers and identify opportunities in integrating innovations such as AI, satellite systems, IoT, blockchain, and advanced analytics into DRR strategies. 

    The workshop emerged from to the Sendai Framework’s midterm review, which called on the DRR community to address persistent gaps in applying scientific and technological advances in disaster resilience efforts. 

    As disasters grow more complex, there’s a pressing need to ensure that countries, especially those most vulnerable, can access and use emerging technologies effectively, Sujit Mohanty, Chief of Intergovernmental, Interagency Cooperation and Partnerships at UNDRR, remarked during his opening remarks. 

    Mr Mohanty emphasised that while new tools are being rapidly developed, countries face challenges related to affordability, infrastructure, expertise, and cross-sector collaboration. Overreliance on untested technologies, he warned, may introduce new risks if not managed with care. 

    Real-world barriers and solutions 

    A highlight of the event was the roundtable discussion featuring speakers from Bangladesh, the Philippines, Mexico City, Sendai City, Japan’s private sector and academia. 

    Bangladesh’s representative, Mr Mohammad Nazmul Abedin, noted how the country has drastically reduced disaster-related deaths—from over 100,000 in 1991 to near zero in 2024—yet struggles to scale satellite-based flood monitoring and data-sharing mechanisms. He said the Bangladesh needs a national technology policy that integrates AI and blockchain, along with more investment and public-private partnerships. 

    Echoing similar constraints, Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito R. Alejandro IV of the Philippines outlined his country’s efforts, such as the GeoRisk platform and IoT-enabled early warning systems. Technology is part of the solution, but it must be paired with good governance, inclusive policies and international collaboration, he noted. 

    Sendai City showcased successful collaboration through initiatives like BOSAI-TECH—a public-private-academic platform fostering DRR innovation and technology commercialisation. Ms. Satoko Shibuya, Director at Sendai’s Disaster-Resilient and Environmentally Friendly City Promotion Office, explained that local partnerships have yielded practical tools like evacuation guidance drones and voice-enhanced disaster alerts. 

    Financing innovation and building trust 

    Speakers representing private sector participants discussed the financial and regulatory environments needed to bring DRR technologies to scale. Mr. Yoshiki Hiruma of the Development Bank of Japan shared insights into DRR-linked financing that rewards clients with reduced loan rates for resilience-building initiatives. He noted that risk financing must embrace a challenge mindset to support DRR innovation. 

    Mr. Shoichi Tateno, of Weathernews Inc., stressed the importance of mutual understanding and trust between governments and private weather service providers – particularly in countries where state meteorological services dominate the sector. He offered the inclusive platform approach of Japan’s Meteorological Service Act as a model of such trust. 

    Academia can offer reliable innovation and policy integration 

    Participants from academia stressed the need for adaptive governance and robust dialogue.  

    Professor Rajib Shaw of Keio University called for more systematic evaluation of successful DRR tech collaborations and piloting through initiatives like the upcoming Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) DRR Innovation Hub. He pointed out that governments and technology developers operate at different speeds, and that it requires structure, trust, and experimentation in order to bridge that divide. 

    Professor Kimio Takeya of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Tohoku University said that while proven technologies remain essential for national governments, they must be extended with emerging tools that offer new ways to improve operations. He cited JICA’s Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) programme – which funds international research on disaster risk reduction – as a model for innovation grounded in collaboration. 

    A global partnership and a dedicated knowledge resource 

    In closing, Mr Mohanty said that UNDRR will facilitate Global Partnership on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies for Disaster Resilience which will foster long-term collaboration and ensure that the next wave of DRR innovation is inclusive, actionable, and globally accessible. 

    He remarked that the workshop had spotlighted the urgent need for a dedicated knowledge resource – one that captures good practices and deepens understanding of how emerging technologies are shaping the current DRR landscape.  

    Such a tool could bridge persistent gaps and drive more effective, widespread integration of innovation into disaster risk reduction efforts. 

    Read the full summary report on the workshop

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SAMOA BUREAU OF STATISTICS IS GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT SAMOA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY-MULTIPLE INDICATOR CLUSTER SURVEY (SDHS-MICS) 2025 SINCE LAST SURVEY IN 2019

    Source:

    Share this:

    [PRESS RELEASE – 24th March 2025] – The Samoa Bureau of Statistics through its Census, Survey and Demography Division will be hosting an official opening of the Samoa DHS-MICS 2025 main training for enumerators on Monday 24th March, 2025 at the DBS Conference room level 6 at 9:00am.

    The main aim of the training is to assist and equip the enumerators with the necessary skills and knowledge required for the DHS-MICS 2025 data collection activity.

    The training will be officially opened by the Government Statistician (GS) followed by official remarks from the respected partners namely Australian High Commissioner in Samoa, UNICEF Chief Fieldwork Officer in Samoa and UNPFA Assistant Representative in Samoa. Other invited guests are Senior Government Officials and members of the DHS-MICS Steering Committee from the Nuanua O le Alofa (NOLA), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development and Ministry of Finance.

    The Samoa DHS-MICS 2025 will collect information in the areas of population, health and nutrition targeting women and men of 15-49 years of age and children. The overall objective of the DHS-MICS 2025 is to provide data and information that will enhance the monitoring of most of the indicators under the Social Sectors of the economy namely Health, Education, Community, Law and Justice, as well as Water and Sanitation and Environment Sectors. The updated data will guide in the prioritization of most of the social sector programs and activities to be implemented in the next 5 years

    Throughout the duration of the training, resource persons from key sectors will be invited to clarify some of the concepts in the questionnaires to better inform the enumerators before they start the data collection activity.

    The training has been made possible by the support of our development partners namely UNICEF, UNFPA and the Tautua program under the Government of Australia DFAT. The Main fieldwork is scheduled to be started from May 5th -July 5th 2025 and we kindly request the public and communities support when the survey fieldwork starts.

    For more information, please contact Kaisarina Moananu at email kaisarina.moananu@sbs.gov.ws or Victoria Tuivaiti at email victoria.tuivaiti@sbs.gov.ws or phone number 23033.

    Thank you

    SOURCE – Samoa Bureau of Statistics

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No, that’s not what a trade deficit means – and that’s not how you calculate other nations’ tariffs

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Jean Monnet Chair of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide

    On April 2, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new “reciprocal tariff” regime he says will level the playing field in global trade – by treating other countries the way (he claims) they treat the US.

    First, Trump’s plan will impose a “baseline” 10% tariff on virtually all goods imported into the US, effective April 5. Then, from April 9, 57 countries will face higher “reciprocal tariffs”.

    These vary by country, according to a formula based on individual trade deficits.

    On face value, the new tariff regime might sound like a simple solution for fairness. If a particular country was taxing American imports with a 50% tariff, it might seem fair for the US to tax their imports at 50% as well.

    But appearances are deceiving.

    These new “reciprocal” tariffs ostensibly aim to eliminate the US trade deficit by making imports more expensive so that Americans buy less from abroad until imports equal exports.

    But the Trump administration hasn’t directly matched specific foreign tariffs. Instead, they’ve opted for a crude formula based on bilateral trade deficits between the US and each specific country. Those aren’t the same things.



    Read more:
    New modelling reveals full impact of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – with the US hit hardest

    Trade deficits aren’t tariffs

    A country has a trade deficit when the total value of everything it imports from somewhere else exceeds the value of what it exports there. A trade surplus is the opposite.

    Trade deficits and surpluses – the balance of trade – can be calculated between specific countries, but also between one country and the rest of the world.

    Tariffs are different things altogether – taxes a country charges on imports when they cross the border, paid by the importer.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

    Trump’s new reciprocal tariffs have been calculated by taking the US trade deficit with each country, dividing it by total US imports from that country, then halving the resulting ratio and converting it into a percentage.

    For example, in 2024, the US imported approximately US$605.8 billion from the European Union, but exported only $370.2 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $235.6 billion.

    Dividing the deficit by total imports from the EU gives a ratio of 39%. The White House interpreted this figure as the EU’s trade “advantage” and subsequently imposed a “discounted” 20% tariff on EU products – roughly half of 39%.

    This same calculation led to a 34% tariff on China, 26% on India, 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. More export-dependent developing countries, including many in Southeast Asia, face some eye-wateringly high reciprocal tariffs.

    Trade experts swiftly criticised the methodology behind the tariffs. James Surowiecki, a financial journalist, labelled it “extraordinary nonsense”.

    While the use of economic formulas in the corresponding US Trade Representative document might give it an appearance of being grounded in economic theory, it is detached from the rigours of trade economics.

    The formula assumes every trade deficit is a result of other countries’ unfair trade practices, but that is simply not the case. To see why, we need to understand why Trump’s obsession with trade deficits is wrong.

    A government isn’t a household

    Why does Trump detest trade deficits? He appears to think of the national balance of trade like a business or household’s finances.

    Under Trump’s logic, if more money is leaving the “account” than coming in, that’s bad business. A $200 million trade deficit would mean the US is “losing” – with money and jobs being siphoned away.

    Trump argues other countries have been taking advantage of America by running up big trade surpluses and “hollowing out” US industry. He has long argued that America’s massive deficits indicate unfair trade deals, foreign protectionism, and even a threat to national security.

    Few economists share Trump’s view

    The trade gap is not money simply being drained overseas by allegedly rapacious foreigners. Rather, it represents the exchange of value.

    American consumer behaviour is a significant driver of the US trade deficit. As a consumption powerhouse, the United States sees its residents and businesses spending vast sums on imported products ranging from iPhones and TVs to clothing and toys.

    Many of these are actually produced by US companies but made overseas. Moreover, those US companies licence foreign factories to produce these goods, and the intellectual property revenues earned make up a huge US surplus in services trade.

    But services trade does not feature in the formula. This shows the singular obsession with tangible things, or goods trade. Yet in most supply chains it is the services components that yield the most value.

    Back on the goods side, when the US economy is robust and people have disposable income, imports naturally increase. Ultimately, while trade deficits indicate economic dynamics, they are not inherently negative nor do they signify economic weakness.

    Rather, they often reflect a nation’s economic structure and consumer preference for diverse global products. After all, Australia has run trade deficits for decades, including with the US, and is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

    The uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, home to a large population of penguins, were hit with tariffs in this week’s announcement.
    VW Pics/Getty

    The real reason for the deficit

    The formula used to calculate the reciprocal tariffs is highly misleading. Responsible policy makers would take account of many other factors in their calculations.

    Among other variables, the US Trade Representative formula fails to consider strong US consumer demand for imports. It also overlooks the US government’s gigantic fiscal deficit. This requires it to borrow money from overseas, pushing up the value of the US dollar. This strong dollar supports US purchases of imports.

    In other words, the US runs large trade deficits not primarily because other nations have high trade barriers but largely because Americans need to fund their debts and want to buy lots of imported goods. The misleading formula places the blame entirely on an ill-conceived notion, and we are all going to pay the price.

    Peter Draper receives funding from the European External Action Service and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for project-specific work connected to trade policies. He is affiliated with the Australian Services Roundtable (Board Member); the International Chamber of Commerce (Research Foundation Director); European Centre for International Political Economy (non-resident Fellow); German Institute for Development and Sustainability (non-resident Research Fellow); and Friends of Multilateralism Group (member).

    Vutha Hing receives funding from Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. He is affiliated with Trade Policy Advisory Board, Royal Government of Cambodia.

    – ref. No, that’s not what a trade deficit means – and that’s not how you calculate other nations’ tariffs – https://theconversation.com/no-thats-not-what-a-trade-deficit-means-and-thats-not-how-you-calculate-other-nations-tariffs-253830

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency secures proceeds of crime award for £313,382

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Environment Agency secures proceeds of crime award for £313,382

    The Environment Agency has secured a proceeds of crime judgment for £313,382.45 against men from Northampton who ran an illegal waste tyre site.

    Multiple piles of used tyres

    A pair of Northampton men are to pay for their role in an illegal tyre waste site in Daventry.

    At Northampton crown court on Friday 28 March, a confiscation hearing concluded against Nimesh Patel, aged 52, of Jasper Walk, Thorplands Brook, and Andrew Eyre, aged 55, of Poppyfield Road, Wootton.

    Patel was ordered to pay £175,013.93 and a £122 surcharge, while Eyre received an order for £138,368.52 and £140 surcharge.

    Both men have been given 3 months to pay or will face 3 and 2 years in prison respectively. Eyre was also fined £250 for breach of his first suspended sentence of imprisonment he received in January 2020.

    The duo had been prosecuted for their part in running a waste tyre site, Synergy Tyres (Midland) Ltd., at Broad March Industrial Estate in Daventry.

    In September 2024, Eyre, a director of the company, had received an 18-week prison sentence that was suspended for 12 months, on condition that he completed 30 days of rehabilitation activities.

    Patel, who had been operations manager, was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, on condition that he perform 80 hours of unpaid work.

    The Daventry site operated without an environmental permit and tyres were stored in an unsafe manner, creating a significant fire-risk and, therefore, a high-pollution risk. 

    From February 2020, Environment Agency officers inspected the site multiple times over the course of a year, and each time witnessed huge amounts of tyres that exceeded the legal limit.

    Paperwork obtained showed that waste tyres were continuously delivered to the site throughout the year, with Eyre being the sole director, and Patel having day-to-day control of the site. 

    The investigation found that the 40-tonne weekly limit for the storage or treatment of waste tyres was exceeded in 52 out of the 59 weeks analysed. 

    This probe followed a court case in January 2020 for the same nature of offending, when Synergy Tyres (Midland) Ltd. had been fined £11,250. Eyre received a suspended 12-month sentence, suspended for 24 months, on condition that he stayed out of trouble and performed 150 hours of unpaid work.

    At that hearing, John Mullen, then 59, of Frankston Avenue, Milton Keynes, received a 6-month community order with a requirement that he completed 15 days of rehabilitation activities.

    At the confiscation hearing on Friday 28 March, Mullen received an order for £1 and a surcharge of £85.

    Eyre and Mullen had been joint directors of a company called IN4 Ltd until February 2017, when Eyre retired, leaving Mullen as the sole director.

    That company was found by investigators in March 2017 to be storing more than 1,300 tonnes of tyres – more than 15 times the amount allowed under its environmental permit.

    Peter Stark, enforcement leader for the Environment Agency in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said:

    “The case shows that we’re not just content to prosecute those who run illegal waste sites, we’ll also come after them to get back the profits they made from their illegal activities and to recoup taxpayers’ money spent on pursuing them.

    “Waste crime can have a serious environmental impact that puts communities at risk and undermines legitimate business and the investment and economic growth that go with it.

    “We support legitimate businesses and we are proactively supporting them by disrupting and stopping the criminal element backed up by the threat of tough enforcement as in this case.

    “We continue to use intelligence-led approaches to target the most serious crimes and evaluate which interventions are most effective.

    “If you see or suspect waste crime is being committed we urge you to report it immediately to CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Oil Spill Update – No New Oil Sightings At Sea; Clean-Up At Changi Beach And Pasir Ris Beach Ongoing

    Source: Government of Singapore

    JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN MPA, NEA, NPARKS AND SFA

    Singapore, 4 April 2025 – As of 4.00pm, there are no visible oil patches off Pulau Ubin and no new oil sightings at sea.

    2.           Clean-up of the beaches at Changi and Pasir Ris is ongoing. The bulk of the clean-up is expected to be completed within the next few days. The affected areas remain cordoned off to facilitate clean-up operations.

    3.           Oil sheen have been observed at several fish farms along East Johor Strait. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is working closely with the affected farms on mitigation measures, with support from the Maritime Port Authority (MPA). SFA is also assisting other farms to take preventative measures, such as providing absorbent pads. As a precautionary measure, SFA is also testing seafood from farms in the East Johor Strait and imported seafood.

    4.           The National Parks Board (NParks), together with research partners, has carried out visual assessments of the biodiversity-sensitive areas in the vicinity of the oil patches this morning, and post-impact surveys are underway. Thus far, there has been no observable impact to wildlife at Chek Jawa Wetlands, Changi Beach Park, and Pasir Ris Park.

    5.           Preventive measures, including the deployment of booms, have been put in place at coastal drains including Changi Creek, Sungei Tampines, and Sungei Api Api, as well as key locations such as Chek Jawa and around fish farms in the East Johor Strait. As a precautionary measure, national water agency PUB has also deployed containment booms across the tidal gates at Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs. These measures will remain in place until further assessment by the relevant agencies.

    6.           Public access to affected areas remains restricted. Members of the public are advised to refrain from swimming or engaging in other water activities at Changi Beach and Pasir Ris Beach until further notice. For the latest advisories, please refer to the National Environment Agency’s (NEA) website (www.nea.gov.sg), NEA’s Facebook page, NParks’ website (www.nparks.gov.sg), and NParks’ Facebook page.

    7.           Agencies thank organisations and individuals who have volunteered their service. Agencies have assessed that there is no need for volunteer assistance at this time.

    8.           MPA and partner agencies continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates as necessary

    For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Helping the Department for Transport increase data resilience

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Helping the Department for Transport increase data resilience

    The DfT needed to understand data flows within cargo shipments to identify and mitigate potential supply chain risks.

    The Department for Transport (DfT) needed to understand data flows within cargo shipments so that it could identify potential supply chain risks and how to mitigate them, increasing resilience. 

    The Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) was asked to develop a reusable methodology that could map the types of data that flow through cargo systems, including third-party integrations, and identify potential vulnerabilities.  

    While this methodology would initially be focused on airports, it also needed to be reusable at road, rail and maritime hubs handling cargo. A second requirement was creating guidance that would enable other transport operators to map supply chain flows and data in their own systems. 

    A call out to ACE’s Vivace supplier community resulted in 12 submissions of interest, with four shortlisted to give presentations at an accelerator day. 

    From these, Arup was chosen to be the supplier because of its strong team and varied experience and a medium-sized airport was identified as a suitable pilot site. 

    Data discovery 

    This commission came from the DfT’s cyber arm, which had not worked with ACE before, and so the first step was working together to fully scope the problem.  

    This involved identifying exactly what data is captured around cargo planes flying in and out of an airport, including where data came in and left airport systems, where cargo is going next, the suppliers and systems involved at every stage, and defining the processes data goes through. 

    This phase also involved interviews with key stakeholders in the cargo handling process and exploring whether learning from other industries and government departments about how cybersecurity risks are captured and mitigated could be applied here. 

    Work for the remainder of the eight-week commission then shifted to consolidating the data model, mapping the data flows and the cybersecurity risk assessment. 

    Ultimately, a standardised methodology approach was created, covering three key steps of understanding data flows, reviewing threats and vulnerabilities, and identifying risks and implementing cost-effective security controls.

    Guidance that could be used by other teams to easily create their own processes was created, and cybersecurity risks outlined at a high level. Four potential next steps for this work were also suggested. 

    A show-and-tell explaining the findings in greater detail, and how these were repeatable elsewhere, was held for DfT stakeholders in maritime policy, aircraft security, aviation strategy and rail resilience and the methodology shared. Next steps are now being considered.

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sustainable flood memories

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Sustainable flood memories

    Sustainable flood memory emphasises the importance of remembering and learning from past flood events to enhance community resilience and adaptive strategies.

    Reviewing flood memory documents. Image credit: Sustainable Flood Memory project.

    Sustainable flood memories and the development of community resilience to future flood risk

    Lindsey McEwen 1, Joanne Garde-Hansen2, Owain Jones3, Andrew Holmes1 and Franz Krause4

    1 Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience, College of Arts, Technology and Environment, University of West England Bristol, United Kingdom

    2 School of Media and Communication, University of Warwick, United Kingdom

    3 School of Humanities, Bath Spa University, United Kingdom

    4 Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Cologne, Germany

    Funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council from 2011 to 2015, the Sustainable Flood Memories (SFM) project created a conceptual framework to enhance community resilience against flooding. SFM empowers communities to navigate flood risk management through local knowledge and collective memory. The lessons learned from the SFM project provided insights for building a more resilient future by engaging communities, preserving local knowledge, and fostering adaptive learning.

    SFM acknowledges the importance of individual and community experiences with flooding.

    Lindsey McEwen and others (2016) described how sustainable flood memories can come from many sources including (page 17):

    narratives, oral and archived histories, physical marks, artefacts and material practices in the landscape, and media representing floods, comprising folk memories, autobiographical accounts, personal stories and anecdotes of previous floods (routine–severe) and their impacts.

    The project had 2 components. The first was a comparative study of 3 communities that experienced flooding involving local council members, flood action group representatives, and emergency services. The project culminated in a conceptual framework for SFM emphasising the role of local knowledge and experiences in decision-making processes.

    The second component used digital storytelling as a tool for adaptive learning. In partnership with the Environment Agency and local government, 21 digital stories were co-created with community members to address various aspects of community flood preparedness. These narratives preserved individual and collective memories and served as educational resources for at-risk communities.

    Digital flood story: A community

    Impact

    The project helped to improve community resilience, archive local flood knowledge, engage various sectors and support training.

    The project increased community awareness and engagement by fostering a collective memory of past floods and as a result, communities became more aware of their vulnerabilities. This increased community awareness helped to encourage local participation in flood management discussions, promoting ownership and responsibility for flood preparedness. It enhanced resilience given that communities learned from past flood events and could develop better preparedness strategies. This was particularly crucial for regions where extreme weather events may not be within living memory, necessitating a balance between remembering and forgetting.

    Former CEO National Flood Forum (2025) said:

    Detailed knowledge about very local flood risk and flooding incidents is incredibly important, both when combining it with the skills needed to better manage flood risk and in supporting communities to build their resilience. But all too often it gets lost from one generation to another and as people move away.

    Communities were also able to protect their local flood knowledge by archiving community-generated flood knowledge. This was important to ensure that informal histories were preserved alongside formal documentation.

    Property Flood Resilience Champion, Flood Mary (2025) said:

    Local flood memory is an essential part of the journey to flood resilience. Having local knowledge of flood risk is so important. I remember someone knocking [at] my door to find out if I knew about the local flood history, as they were about to buy a house in my street. Having somewhere to point people to, which has both new and historical flood risk information keeps flood risk real. Pulling all partners together to share their knowledge and expertise is an excellent way to make this happen.

    In addition, policymakers could leverage historical flood data and community narratives to create tailored flood risk management policies. The data could also improve infrastructure planning, ensuring that new developments are resilient to potential future flooding scenarios. They can also support training. The digital stories co-created during the project have been used in training for Environment Agency community officers and shared amongst at-risk community groups, demonstrating their practical application.

    The SFM project sparked discussions across various sectors, bringing in new voices and perspectives, particularly from the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector. Projects like Gloucestershire Archives’ Green Pledge Project have adopted SFM methodologies to enhance community engagement.

    Learning & Outreach Officer, Green Pledge Project, Gloucestershire Heritage Hub (2025) said:

    The Green Pledge Project at Gloucestershire Archives is about connecting people with archival material relating to our environmental history. We are using the records to inform and inspire people to live more sustainably. The creation of material, such as those made for the SFM project, which are stored at Gloucestershire Archives, enable us to do that in a very direct way. They have been shared in project presentations and event, sparking discussions around past floods and community resilience for future ones.

    Resources

    Centre for Floods, Communities and Resilience (CFCR). Sustainable Flood Memories and Community Resilience. Available at: https://esrcfloodmemories.wordpress.com/ (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Garde-Hansen, J., McEwen, L. J., Holmes, A. and Jones, O. (2017).  Sustainable Flood Memory: Remembering as Resilience. Memory Studies 10(4), 384–405. Available at: doi.org/10.1177/1750698016667453 (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Garde-Hansen J., McEwen L. J. and Jones O. (2016). Towards a memo-techno-ecology: mediating memories of extreme flooding in resilient communities. In Hajek, A. Lohmeier, L. and Pentzold, C. (eds.) Social Memory in a Mediated World: Remembering in troubled times, Palgrave Macmillan. Pp 55-73.

    Holmes, A. and McEwen L. J. (2020). How to exchange stories of local flood resilience from flood rich areas to the flooded areas of the future.  Environmental Communication 14(5), 597-613. Available at: doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1697325 (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    McEwen, L. J., Garde-Hansen, J., Holmes, A., Jones, O. and Krause, F. (2016). Sustainable Flood Memories, Lay knowledges and the Development of Community Resilience to Future Flood Risk. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 42 (1), 14-28. Available at: doi.org/10.1111/tran.12149 (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    McEwen, L. J. and Holmes, A. (2017). Sustainable Flood Memories: Developing the concept, process and practice in flood risk. In Vinet, F (ed.) Floods Vol 2: Risk Management. Editions ISTE (published in English and French) Chapter 10, 141-153. 

    McEwen L. J., Garde-Hansen, J, Robertson, I and Holmes, A. (2018). Exploring the changing nature of flood archives: community capital for flood resilience. In Metzger, A and Linton, J (eds.) La Crue, l’inondation: un patrimoine. L’Harmattan Publishing House, France. 

    United Nations Office for Disaster and Risk Reduction (UNDRR). PreventionWeb: Floods, Memories, and Resilience. Available at: https://www.preventionweb.net/news/floods-memories-and-resilience (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Funder 

    • UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

    Collaborators

    • Environment Agency
    • Local government
    • UWE Bristol
    • Civil society organisations

    Research period  

    • 2011 to 2015

    Impact period  

    • Ongoing

    Impact country  

    • UK
    • France

    Contributing to the areas of research interest

    • 2 – Resilience and adaptation to flooding and coastal change

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Flood Hydrology Roadmap

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Flood Hydrology Roadmap

    The UK’s Flood Hydrology Roadmap is designed to safeguard communities, infrastructure, and natural environments from the escalating risks of flooding.

    Recovering from winter floods 2015-2016, York. Image credit: Environment Agency.

    Flood Hydrology Roadmap

    Sean Longfield1, Sue Manson 1 and Anita Asadullah 1

    1 Environment Agency, United Kingdom

    The UK’s Flood Hydrology Roadmap, led by the Environment Agency, was published in 2022. It charted a course from 2021 to 2046 to guide the UK towards a more resilient, scientifically driven, and collaborative approach to improve flood hydrology.

    The roadmap emerged in response to several strategic drivers. Flood hydrology underpins investment decisions across flood and coastal risk management, with an estimated £6 billion of investment in the UK planned between 2022 and 2028. This, combined with a need to support the implementation of flood risk management strategies across the UK required a new long-term vision and direction for flood hydrology.

    In response, the roadmap provided a UK-wide plan of action to improve ways of working, data, methods and scientific understanding in hydrology so that risk information was robust and could continue to support activities for safeguarding communities, infrastructure, and natural environments from the escalating risks of flooding. It considered all inland flood sources—rivers, surface water, groundwater, and reservoirs across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

    The roadmap for UK flood hydrology. Image credit: Environment Agency.

    Impact

    The roadmap’s vision for the next 25 years is that society will have improved hydrological information and understanding to manage flood hazards in a changing world; flood hydrology and whole-system process understanding will be underpinned by excellent evidence with quantified uncertainty. Leadership and collaboration are crucial to achieving this vision. It aims to bring new science into operational practice, developing the next generation of methods to increase flood resilience and adaptation to a changing climate. The roadmap’s success will be underpinned by cohesive action and gaining funding, estimated between £110 and £165 million over 25 years to 2046.

    The Environment Agency secured £6 million over 6 years to start delivering on the roadmap and established the Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme (FHIP). Through FHIP, the Environment Agency made the sub-daily flow and rainfall data publicly available which enabled valuable research into flood periodicity to be conducted. Another outcome was addressing gaps in hydrometric data through a project that preserved significant amounts of data. In addition, it enabled a UK-wide skills survey providing information on the state of the hydrological expertise in the UK. FHIP is leading on a benchmarking process for hydrological models, making it possible to appraise and bring new scientific methods into practice.

    The roadmap, with support from FHIP, has also enabled experts to work together more effectively. This included setting up a flood hydrology scientific and technical advice group.

    Rob Lamb, JBA Trust director and member of roadmap steering group (2022) said:

    By bringing together the views of scientists and practitioners from a wide range of disciplines and sectors, the roadmap advances flood hydrology both as a technical discipline and as a profession. It is a landmark report that will shape hydrology and flood management for years to come.

    The strategic direction is overseen by a governance board, which uses the roadmap to guide activities, coordinate action and share knowledge. It also reinforces opportunities for collaboration across organisations.

    Cordelia Menmuir, Senior Manager Hydrology and Flooding for Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Chair of the Governance Board (2025) said:

    It is a privilege to be able to Chair the Governance Board that oversees such a talented and passionate group of individuals all working towards the same common goal. Moving forward we are actively seeking out new ways to facilitate the involvement of any individual or organisation who believes they have something they can offer, and I would encourage all those who work in hydrology to consider contributing.

    Andrew Wall, National Flood Risk Services Manager at Natural Resources Wales (NRW) (2025) said:

    We have welcomed the opportunity for agencies across the UK to come together to review flood hydrology and develop a roadmap for future improvement to our data and techniques. NRW is looking forward to continuing to work alongside our partners in this important effort and playing a key role in the development and delivery of the vision for flood hydrology across the UK.

    Resources 

    British Hydrological Society. (2022). UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap and Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme. Available at: https://www.hydrology.org.uk/Flood_Hydrology_Roadmap.php (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Environment Agency. (2021). Flood hydrology roadmap. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-reports/flood-hydrology-roadmap (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Environment Agency. (2025). UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap – Engage Environment Agency. Available at: https://engageenvironmentagency.uk (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Lamb, R., Longfield, S., Manson, S., Cloke, H., Pilling, C., Reynard, N., Sheppard, N., Asadullah, A., Vaughan, M., Fowler, H.J. and Beven, K.J. (2022). The future of flood hydrology in the UK. Hydrology Research 53(10): 1286-1303. Available at: doi.org/10.2166/nh.2022.053 (Accessed: 25 March 2025).

    Funder 

    The research project was funded by the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) research and development programme.  

    Collaborators  

    • A community derived project with around 50 organisations from public sector, industry and academia, now governed by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, the Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland, British Hydrological Society and UK Research and Innovation. For a full list of contributors see the report.

    Research period  

    • 2018 to 2022 

    Impact period   

    • 2021 to 2046 

    Impact country  

    • England
    • Wales
    • Scotland
    • Northern Ireland

    Contributing to areas of research interest

    • 1 – Understanding future flood and coastal erosion risk

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thames Barrier future closure numbers tool

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Case study

    Thames Barrier future closure numbers tool

    How adaptive planning approaches are being used to prepare the Thames Estuary for rising sea levels and changing river flows.

    Thames barrier close up. Image credit: Environment Agency.

    Thames Estuary 2100 – Projections of future Thames Barrier average annual closure numbers

    James Brand 1 and Ivan Haigh 2

    1 Environment Agency, United Kingdom

    2 Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton

    The Environment Agency collaborated with Professor Ivan Haigh from the University of Southampton in 2021 to 2022 to create a tool to model projected future annual closure numbers of the Thames Barrier. The Thames Estuary flood defences, including the Thames Barrier, protect over 1.4 million people and £321 billion worth of residential property in London and the wider estuary (Environment Agency, 2021). To make sure that the Thames Barrier continues to operate reliably, the number of closures needs to be kept at or below an average of 50 per year to allow sufficient time for maintenance.

    The projection tool that the team developed uses a Monte-Carlo modelling approach. It simulates a range of possible outcomes to predict minimum, maximum, and average projections for numbers of future barrier closures. As a result, the tool provides a more comprehensive understanding of future closure numbers which allows planners to consider not just sea level rise but also the effects of tidal cycles and storm surges, forecasting improvements, and even potential shifts in fluvial flow.

    Impact

    The level of detail provided by the projection tool enabled the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan (TE2100) to make more informed decisions about critical deadlines. For example, the tool’s insights led to an adjustment of the first defence-raising deadline for London from 2065 to 2050—15 years earlier than initially planned. This major shift reflected not only updated climate data, but also the anticipated impact of inter-annual tidal cycle peaks on closure frequency.

    Beyond simply updating timelines, the tool’s projections enable the Environment Agency to plan strategically. It allows the Environment Agency to test future scenarios where forecasting accuracy does not achieve expected improvements, preparing for possible adjustments in barrier operations and maintenance or further changes to defence raising deadlines.  

    The tool also helps planners evaluate how future maintenance schedules could be optimised to reduce disruptions during periods with a higher likelihood of closures. This insight is particularly valuable for long-term contingency planning, as it offers flexibility for adapting both routine and large-scale maintenance projects.

    Professor Ivan Haigh spoke about the importance of the tool (2024):

    Around the world there are more than 50 storm surge barriers in operation protecting tens of millions of people and trillions of pounds of property and infrastructure. However, with climate change, surge barriers are closing increasingly often, and closures are now occurring in months when they typically have not occurred in the past. Increased use of surge barriers in the future has critical implications for barrier management, maintenance and operation.

    Working closely with staff in the Environment Agency, we have produced a flexible tool that can estimate how much more often and which times of the year operators are likely to have to use their barriers. Working with the Environment Agency, and other barrier operators in the Netherlands and USA, we have considered the implications of this on future barrier management and maintenance, and identified when in the future barriers might have to be upgraded and replaced.

    The tool supported a path forward in climate-resilient infrastructure. The adaptability and foresight embedded in this approach make it a model for global flood risk management. Tools like the barrier closure projection tool have proven indispensable for maintaining the balance between protection, maintenance, and operational efficacy. The use of the tool has demonstrated that proactive steps are being taken to safeguard London’s future and that the insights gained can benefit cities and flood defences across the globe.

    Dr James Brand added (2025):

    This tool has provided us with vital new evidence to inform our strategic planning for managing London’s tidal flood risk. It helps us to test different scenarios for managing the flood defence system and allows us to make better informed decisions when setting deadlines for implementing improvements to the tidal flood defence system.

    Resources

    Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Environment Agency. (2023). Thames Estuary 2100 Plan. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/thames-estuary-2100-te2100 (Accessed: 24 March 2025).

    Environment Agency. (2021). Thames Estuary 2100: 10-year monitoring review (2021). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thames-estuary-2100 (Accessed: 24 March 2025).

    Haigh, I., D’Arcy, E., Brand, J., Inavatillah, A., Trace-Kleeberg, S., Walraven, M., Saman, K., Batchelor, A., Lewis, C., Barlow, N.L.M., Thompson, P., O’Brien, P. and Marzion, R. (pre-print). Rapid Acceleration in the Number of Closures of Storm Surge Barriers in the Future: A New Tool for Estimating Barrier Closures. Available at: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202410.2298/v1 (Accessed: 24 March 2025).

    Funder

    • Environment Agency

    Research period 

    • 2021 to 2022

    Impact period 

    • 2023 and out to 2100

    Impact country 

    • England
    • Variants are also being used in the Netherlands and the USA

    Contributing to the areas of research interest

    • 6 – Digital technology

    Updates to this page

    Published 4 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –