Unpredictable Black Sea

The Black Sea region is becoming more dangerous for the shipping and stevedoring in terms of natural disasters risks, abnormal climatic changes, and other natural disasters. Environmentalists are also alarmed - the Black Sea is becoming more and more unpredictable.

Two blows in six months

This year Krasnodar Region has declared a state of emergency twice - in February, due to storms and recent floods.

The Black coast of the Krasnodar Territory was hit on the night of 7 to 8 February by the strong gale, which stopped operations in the ports of Novorossiysk and Gelendzhik, which were hit hard. In Novorossiysk winds gusted, according to various estimates, to 45 and 60 m/s.

In addition, during this winter, there was another natural anomaly - the Azov Sea saw almost unprecedented freeze that almost made it difficult to navigate and created obstacles for the regional ports.

But the most devastating disaster struck a few days, when downpour caused floods that (according to an official version), resulting in numerous casualties among the locals, not to mention the economic damage.

The port of Novorossiysk was forced to temporarily shut down. Not without environmental damage - according to findings of the environment protection Prosecutors’ Office on July 7, during recent rains in Novorossiisk oily wastes spilled into the waters of Tsemess Bay, which leaked from two open reservoirs of Sheskharis depot. As a result, the contaminated area totaled almost 300 square meters. The spill oil containment booms were placed in the body of contaminated area. As of July 8 about 95% of polluted water has been cleansed and the next day, the sleek has been completely removed. The oil spill response team has collected 82 cbm of oil debris. According to the operator of the oil terminal Chernomortransneft mud floods washed out oily soil at water treatment plants. At present, the facility is operating in normal mode, as well as other oil terminal of Caspian Pipeline Consortium.

Floods caused disruptions in the work of dry cargo terminals. The NCSP Group’s enterprises were forced to suspend operations. There were congestions on the railroad and a backlog of deliveries. According to the NCSP, on July 9 the Group’s terminals were able to handle rail freight only by 90%, or according to RZD – by 60%.

"We had to dispatch to this region limited quantities of freight, in order to ensure passage of trains," said the company’s first Vice-President Vadim Morozov.

There was a backlog of more than 100 freight trains on the regional railroad. The company announced conventional measures, restricting freight shipments to the Novorossiysk transport hub. There was congestions of trains on the neighboring railways.

"Before the incident, there were arrivals and departures every days 25 freight trains and 12 oil product-laden trains to the Grushevaya station of this part of the North Caucasian Railway," said Morozov.

Troubled future

Meanwhile, scientists are growing concerned with the nature situation in the Black Sea region. The maximum height of sea swells is constantly growing, the number of strong gales and its strength increases. According to environmental groups, fertilizer flows leak into the waters of the sea from rice fields in Krasnodar Territory and the harmful substances from landfills with groundwater and river waters. The relief of the coastal areas creates favorable conditions for disasters that came in July.

Meanwhile, the Azov-Black Sea basin of Russia is of key strategic importance. There is the largest Russian port of Novorossiysk. The project of a new port of Taman will be implemented in the region, which is expected to outpace the cargo turnover of Novorossiysk.

Russia's South is not the only region in the world with a high risk of natural disasters. For example, the Russian Far East may also be hit by similar disasters. For example, the Russian Emergencies Ministry has warned of potential emergency situations due to the rains in Vladivostok. St. Petersburg also suffers from floods, but with the completion of dam facilities, the risk is substantially reduced.

According to the UN, the list of the most vulnerable to disasters world’s port cities includes Japan’s Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe and Tokyo, in China – Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo, Tianjin and Hong Kong, in the U.S. - New York, Miami and New Orleans, Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Bangkok in Thailand, in Egypt - Alexandria, Mumbai and Kolkata in India.

In this context, some companies started new business providing services for comprehensive protection of port infrastructure from natural disasters. The Netherlands succeeded in this business. Obviously, the builders of the Russian ports also need to learn from this experience.

Vitaly Chernov.