The 13th NOWPAP IGM (October 2008) adopted the Resolution of the NOWPAP Regional Oil and HNS Spill Contingency Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Plan) and the Plan came into effect. For efficient implementation of the Plan, the 8th NOWPAP MERRAC FPM and the 1st CNA Meeting (May 2005, MERRAC) adopted the “NOWPAP Regional Joint Exercises and Guidelines Regarding Oil Spill Preparedness and Response” as a reference for joint exercise to be taken in the NOWPAP region. Based on the NOWPAP Regional Joint Exercises and Guidelines Regarding Oil Spill Preparedness and Response, the regular oil spill exercises have been conducted:
- Synthetic Exercise (NOWPAP ALPHA)
- Alarm Exercise (NOWPAP BRAVO)
- Equipment Exercise (NOWPAP CHARLIE)
- Operational Exercise (NOWPAP DELTA)
- State-of-the-art Exercise (NOWPAP ECHO)
The NOWPAP ALPHA exercises have been carried out to recall the roles and actions of leading and assisting members in accordance with the general procedure of the Plan, and to identify the necessity to share further information on custom and immigration procedures and on pre-arrangement procedures of the NOWPAP member states. The implemented exercises are as follows:
- 1st NOWPAP ALPHA exercise aimed to introduce the concept and methods of development of exercise (led by MERRAC, 2004 MERRAC Expert Meeting)
- 2nd NOWPAP ALPHA exercise aimed to prepare national arrangements related to the assistance procedure (led by Korea, FPM in 2007)
- 3rd NOWPAP ALPHA exercise aimed to build regional capacity and increase understanding of the Plan (led by Oil Spill Response, FPM in 2009)
- 4th NOWPAP ALPHA exercise aimed to identify general procedure and the roles and actions of leading and assisting members (led by MERRAC, FPM in 2010)
- 5th NOWPAP ALPHA exercise aimed to test prompt and effective assistance procedure of the response resources among NOWPAP Members taking roles and actions as leading and assisting members (led by Oil Spill Response, FPM in 2011)
