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Clean Techn Environ Policy (2005) 7: 133-141 DOI 10.1007/s10098-004-0266-7ORIGINAL PAPERA. K. Gupta S. K. Gupta Rashmi S. PatilEnvironmental management plan for port and harbour projects

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137Received: 15 June 2004/ Accepted: 18 October 2004 / Published online: 6 April 2005

Springer-Verlag 2005Abstract Port activities can cause deterioration of air and marine water quality in the surrounding areas due to multifarious activities. Hence, for the determination of levels of pollution, identification of pollution sources, control and disposal of waste from various point and non-point sources and for prediction of pollution levels for future, regular monitoring and assessment are required during the entire construction and operation phase of a major port. It is extremely essential that port and harbour projects should have an environmental management plan (EMP), which also incorporates monitoring of air and marine water quality along with the collection of online meteorological data throughout the life of the project. This paper presents the environmental impacts due to various port activities and their sources and also discusses the EMP for different pollution prevention, protection and control measures.IntroductionMore than 50% of the world population lives close to the coast, of which more than 300 million inhabit the coastal urban cities (Chau 1999; Chua and Ross 1998). There are significant increases in maritime trade among various countries as we enter the twenty first century. To meet the increasing demands of population andA. K. Gupta (El)Department of Civil Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology,Kharagpur, 721302, India E-mail: agupta@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in Tel.: +91-3222-283428 Fax: +91-3222-255303S. K. Gupta R. S. PatilCentre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology,Bombay, 400076, India requirements of the industries, new ports are being constructed or existing ports are being expanded throughout the world. This would definitely facilitate commercial and economic growth but the port activities are also likely to cause deterioration of air and marine water quality in the surrounding areas. A port can lead to severe pollution problem, over a large area due to the multifarious activities. The increase in emissions of air pollutants can affect local as well as regional air quality (Galloway 1989; Gupta et al. 2002; Rodhe 1989; Streets et al. 2000). With the increase in volume of shipping traffic into and within the region, sea-based pollution is also a source of concern, especially along heavily congested shipping routes (Chua 1995a, b). Oil and chemical spills from ships, either from operational activities or catastrophic accidents (i.e. grounding or collision), also cause health hazards.Maritime development usually generates local environmental problems; however, development associated with sensitive estuaries or inland or freshwater rivers may yield regional scale problems. The impacts on environment will differ from place to place depending upon the variations of geography, hydrology, geology, ecology, types of shipping, industrialization and urbanization. Hence, for the determination of levels of pollution, identification of pollution sources, control and disposal of waste from various point and non-point sources and for prediction of pollution levels for future, regular monitoring and assessment are required during the entire construction and operation phase for a major port. It is mandatory that port and harbour projects should have an environmental management plan (EMP), which includes monitoring of air and marine water quality along with the collection of online meteorological data throughout the life of the project throughout the world.This paper tries to identify not only the environmental impact caused or induced by various port activities and their sources but also discusses different prevention, protection and control measures for air and water pollution, which will be helpful in evolving an appropriate EMP for a specific port and harbour projects.Identification of impactsPorts and harbours are located either in marine/estua- rine zones or on rivers at inland sites far from the sea, but general guidelines are applicable to both. Various port and harbour activities including dredging operations, materials disposal, shorezone development, increased maritime traffic and vehicular traffic in the port can results in the release of natural and anthropogenic contaminants to the environment. The pollution problems usually caused by port and harbour activities can be categorized as follows:1. Coastal habitats may be destroyed and navigational channels silted due to causeway construction and land reclamation.2. Unregulated mariculture activities in the port and harbour areas may threaten navigation safety.3. Deterioration of surface water quality may occur during both the construction and operation phases.4. Harbour operations may produce sewage, bilge wastes, solid waste and leakage of harmful materials both from shore and ships.5. Human and fish health may be affected by contamination of coastal water due to urban effluent discharge.6. Oil pollution is one of the major environmental hazards resulting from port/harbour and shipping operations. This includes bilge oil released from commercial ships handling non-oil cargo as well as the more common threat from oil tankers.7. Air pollutant emissions due to ship emissions, loading and unloading activities, construction emission and emissions due to vehicular movement.Impact on surface water qualityThe construction of man-made structures and alteration of natural waters can lead to direct and indirect impacts on the water body and ecosystem. Deterioration in surface water quality can occur during both the construction and operation phases. During the construction phase, pollution may result from soil run off and sanitary waste from labour force.Dredging and reclamation result in the formation of plumes of suspended sediments around dredgers, reclamation outfalls and dumping grounds. Dredging and dredge spoil disposal activities for port development and maintenance can induce short- and long-term impacts on aquatic systems, namely degradation of marine resources such as beaches, estuaries, coral reefs and fisheries; resuspension and settlement of sediments, portioning of toxic contaminants and reintroduction to the water column; contaminant uptake by and accumulation in fish and shellfish, increased turbidity causing decrease in light penetration and associated photosynthetic activity, short-term depletions of dissolved oxygen levels; modified bathymetry causing changes in circulation; possible saltwater intrusion to ground-water; inland surface water; altered species diversity and structure of benthic communities; fluctuations in water chemistry, changes in shoreline structure; loss of habitat and fisheries resources.Harbour operation can produce sewage, bilge wastes, solid waste, oil discharges and leakages of harmful materials both from shore and ships. Tens of thousands of chemicals are used to meet societys technological and economic needs. Many of these chemicals find their way into the marine environment; therefore, it is important to ascertain whether the complex mixtures of chemicals found in coastal waters are causing adverse biological effects on marine organisms. There are two basic ways by which chemical contaminants can affect living marine resources: (1) by directly affecting the exposed organisms own health and survival, and (2) by contaminating those fisheries resources that other species, including humans, may consume.Impact on air qualityAir quality in a port area can be affected by dust and particulates from traffic (resuspension of road dust), site clearing, rock excavation and construction activity, and emissions from vehicles bringing materials to the site and from ships and construction equipments. The photochemical reactions (complex chain reactions between sunlight and gaseous pollutants), emissions from burning waste materials and escaping dust (due to handling of fine-particulate materials such as fertilizers and minerals) are also major sources of air pollution in port areas. Air quality can also be affected by secondary developments such as urbanization and increased vehicular traffic.Ship emissions are the main source of SO2 in port and harbour areas. Total emissions from major shipping activities are estimated to be 236,000 tonne SO2 per year. Emissions from port activities account for about 4.5% of total shipping emissions, or 10,620 tonne SO2 per year (Streets et al. 1997). Generally, the cheapest grades of residual oil, containing as much as 5% sulphur, are being used to fuel the commercial fleets. The average sulphur content of marine fuel oils is about 2.8%. In 1997, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (commonly known as the MARPOL convention) approved a global cap of 4.5% on the sulphur content of marine fuel oils (Streets et al. 2000). A significant fraction of more than 10% of the global NOx production is emitted from ocean going ships burning fossil fuels (Lawrence and Crutzen 1999).

Impacts on human healthImpacts on human health can be broadly categorized as:1. Hazards/accidents both onshore and offshore from handling of hazardous materials such as flammables, explosives and toxics from vessel collisions2. Communicable diseases3. Noise from construction equipment/activity, vehicles, cargo handling equipment and ship and port public address systems/sirens4. Respiratory illness from escaping dust and particulates.Most health impacts (except communicable diseases) will generally be confined to the immediate port vicinity/ work environment. Occupational health programmes should be established and provisions should be made for adequate medical emergency services.Best available techniquesMajor port expansion and the development of new ports offer the opportunity to introduce the use of the most up-to-date techniques and equipment for port construction, maintenance, operation, cargo handling and storage. Significant advances in techniques and technologies have been made in recent years in these fields to reduce the environmental impacts if correctly handled.

Fig. 1 Components and strategies for environmental management plan (EMP)The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) has formulated the Environmental Management System (EMS) under ISO 14000. Similarly, most of Europe adopts a system known as BATNEEC. BAT- NEEC is a concept relating to environmental protection that helps define good practice and is becoming increasingly popular internationally, particularly within the European Community. Ports and harbours are seeking certification under ISO 14000 or its equivalent.EMP for a port and harbourThe EMP should generally include information on the generation and treatment of solid waste, liquid and gaseous effluents, details of safety measures around the project, and details of the safety organization including key personnel. The various strategies for EMP are summarized in Fig. 1.An EMP is formulated to mitigate the adverse impacts arising out of any developmental programme. An EMP should ensure that resources are used with maximum efficiency, waste generation is minimized, residuals are treated adequately and products are recovered and recycled to the maximum extent possible. Stress should be laid on low waste or cleaner technologies.An EMP is a required part of environmental impact assessment of a new port project but could also be evolved for existing ports. It is useful both during the construction and operational phases of the new port but only for operation of existing ports to ensure the effectiveness of the mitigation measures and to give guidance as to the most appropriate way of dealing with any unforeseen effects. A regular monitoring programme needs to be specified in order to check that environmental measures are working and to alert port and pollution control boards to any pollution or other environmental problems that might occur during either the construction or operational phase of the project. A number of important issues needs to be included in the EMP, namely: The review, and where necessary, updating of disaster management plans for all ports, particularly procedures and management responsibilities. The adequacy of equipments for handling oil and related liquid bulk spills and other emergencies should be assessed in the light of increased traffic since the facility was opened. The review of dredging practices, the toxicity of the dredged material and the disposal location. Improving the handling facilities for dry bulk cargoes, especially for coal and iron ore. This is potentially a costly exercise and will inevitably be constrained by financial considerations. Providing facilities for collection and disposal of waste oil and solid waste (garbage) in accordance with the marine pollution convention. Collection facilities need to be conveniently located for ships, open at hours to suit ship movements. Hazardous waste materials should be separately collected and disposed off at the designated site. Health related monitoring should be performed on the workers who are working in bulk storage area and handling chemicals. Facilities need to be brought to the attention of shippers to encourage their use. The location of the treatment or disposal facilities needs to be carefully planned so as not to give rise to negative environmental impacts elsewhere, particularly in the case of garbage disposal. Adopting mitigation techniques for reducing the pollutant concentration like green belt/plantation, conservation of water and energy etc. Various other considerations to control air and water quality in the port and harbour region are discussed below.Management plan during dredging operation in the port areaA comprehensive dredging and dredged materials management plan should be considered for the port and harbour facilities to ensure that project can be carried out with minimum environmental effects. Both capital and maintenance dredging affect water quality; particularly turbidity and this in turn can marginally affect marine ecology and fisheries. Capital dredging has high potential to disperse the fine-grained sediment in the water column, thereby increasing the particular load. The initial screening for evaluating disposal options is based on physical and chemical analysis for geotechnical character and the presence of contaminants in the sediments. Depending on the physical and chemical character of the dredged material, disposal may be confined, unconfined or treated prior to release in open water, along the shoreline, or on land.Maintenance dredging is performed in approach channels and harbour basins to maintain depth and width and ensure safe access for large vessels. The dredged materials from maintenance dredging typically present a greater disposal problem than deeper sediments removed during construction dredging, since surficial sediments are composed of recently deposited materials that are usually contaminated. These younger sediments usually contain natural and anthropogenic contaminants and can arrive from atmospheric fallout; erosion of local, surface and channel banks; fallout from biological activity in the water column; sediment transport from inland waters; point source discharges and surface runoff from the surrounding area. To mitigate potential contaminant passing from the port area, it should be addressed through proper design of storm water handling and treatment facilities; placement of sewage and wastewater outfalls; compatibility of local land use (e.g. proximity of agriculture fields or mining operations), procedures for handling hazardous materials and types of industries permitted to operate in the port area.Disposal must be in accordance with applicable regulations. Also, long-term monitoring of the dredging process and disposal may be required. Mitigation measures recommended for reducing the release of sediments and fines into the main water body could include: Containment of the work area with a silt curtain to prevent excessive release of fine sediments Use of suction dredger instead of bucket dredger Dewatering of fines through sediment traps -No dredging works during storms Halting dredging during the breeding seasons of economically important fish stocks or protected or rare species Plan for minimizing impacts on local flora and fauna, and screen for the presence of rare, threatened or endangered species that are indigenous to the project location Monitor local air quality and reduce operations if unacceptable quality arises.Management plan to improve marine water quality in the port area1. The drains and outfall should be cleaned regularly to avoid anaerobic decomposition and also for proper flow of water/wastewater. This will also enable the characterization of wastewater and calculation of waste load2. Domestic and canteen wastewater should be discharged only after proper treatment3. The solid waste generated from the canteen and other diffused sources should be collected and disposed off properly4. The discharge of oil waste into the sea from the following main sources should be controlled(a) Discharge of oil waste from liquid chemical corridor area. This liquid waste is generated during tanker cleaning and oils spills during filling operations(b) Oil spills at berth during unloading operations(c) Tanker ballast discharge from ships5. The discharge of solid waste and sewage from ships should be controlled. It should be disposed/discharged only after proper treatment6. Bulk material should not be disposed into the sea. All drains and roads should be cleaned before the rainy season to avoid runoff from land to sea carrying a myriad of pollutants including chemicals7. Temporary bunds should be constructed to contain surface runoff from land sites. Collected runoff should be passed through retention ponds to collect suspended solids before discharge8. A treatment system should be provided at the construction camp. This could either be a package plant or a septic tank9. A conventional activated sludge sewage treatment plant is not considered to be appropriate for port operations owing to fluctuations in the volume and characteristics. The following alternatives for treatment are more appropriate(a) Either an anaerobic pond followed by facultative and polishing off ponds discharging to a near shore outfall(b) An anaerobic pond discharging to an offshore outfall10. Sanitary effluents should not be discharged into the harbour itself11. Oily wastewaters (from fuel storage tanks, maintenance shops, ships bilge water, tank washings) and runoff from dirty areas of the port (vehicle marshalling, parking and fuel storage areas) should all be collected and passed through an oil water separator before discharge. Wastewater may be returned to storm water system after treatment12. Reception facilities for oily wastes from ships should be provided and their use should be enforced by monitoring. Penalties may be imposed for oily discharges in and around the port13. Regular monitoring of water quality should be carried out within the port and in adjacent waters during operation to identify adverse environmental changes.Management plan to improve air quality in the port and harbour region1. To control the fugitive emissions during loading and unloading and storing operations, the following actions have to be taken Spraying of water or suitable chemical over the bulk material so that wind blown dust is reduced A common preventive technique for the control of fugitive particulate emission is to enclose the sources either fully or partially. Enclosures prevent or inhibit particulate matter from becoming air borne as a result of disturbance created by wind or by mechanical entrainment resulting from the operation of the source itself. Enclosure also helps to contain those emissions that are generated. They can consist of either some type of permanent structure or temporary arrangement It is also observed that during loading and unloading operations considerable dust is generated which may be chemical in nature. This could be harmful to the health of working staff, hence, masks should be provided to all staff working at the site and also periodic check of their health should be carried out Bulk material should be transported in closed trucks to avoid wind entrainment Proper bag filters in conveyor belts must be used for collection of dust and use of conveyor belts should be minimized Resuspension of dust is due to wind and vehicular movement over the road surface. Controlling resuspension of road dust may be the most effective way of reducing particulate pollutant. There are various methods for reducing entrainment like(a) Regular cleaning of paved and unpaved roads(b) Removal of the accumulated dirt from roadside(c) Regular maintenance of unpaved shoulder on paved road(d) paving of access roads should be undertaken; unpaved roads may lead to dust problems in communities2. Vehicles are major sources of air pollution, so better maintenance of vehicles and control of vehicular emissions, as for as possible, should be achieved3. No vehicle should be allowed without proper pollution under control certificate in the port area and highly polluting vehicles (especially heavy trucks) should be avoided4. The plantations and green belts all around the port area and also in the open area should be increased. This reduces air and noise pollution5. Construction and demolition activities, though temporary in nature are important open dust sources. These activities involve a number of separate dust- generating operations that must be quantified to determine the total emissions from the site and thus their impact on ambient air quality6. Burning of waste materials should be avoided7. Emissions from construction operations can be reduced by wet suppression8. Ambient air quality monitoring should be further strengthened by adopting the following recommendations(a) Meteorological monitoring stations should be installed at different heights so that the vertical profile can be assessed and also automatic facilities provided for recording meteorological data. This is helpful in estimating the dilution capacity of atmosphere and in air pollution dispersion modelling(b) Monitoring of additional parameters, HC and Pb in the locations, where vehicular pollution is high(c) Monitoring of PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 im) and CO should be carried out regularly because these pollutants directly affect the respiratory system(d) Exposure or health related monitoring of sensitive population subgroups like workers, residents and children etc. should be conducted as a safety measure.Management plan to minimize public health impactsThe following control measures can be used to reducethe health impact on persons working in the port andharbour projects.1. Temporary and permanent workers should receive medical examination and necessary treatment before starting work.2. Facilities for first aid should be provided at the port as well as at the construction site.3. Proper sanitation should be provided during construction and operation to minimize spread of diseases.4. Arrangements for quarantine of vessels should be made in accordance with international practice.5. In general, it is beneficial to install electrical systems as opposed to pneumatic ones. It is a good noise reduction strategy.6. Another possible mitigation measure is proper installation of machines e.g. providing rubber paddings etc. Mufflers should be provided wherever feasible to muffle the sounds from engines, motors etc. Head phones and earplugs can be provided to workers working in noisy environments.Other pollution control measuresOperation of port and harbour complexes tend to result in acceptable sanitation conditions if special provisions for waste management are included in the planning and design stage, such as: Provision of an adequate water distribution system including pier installations for hose connections to supply fresh water to ships. Construction of temporary bunds to contain surface runoff from land sites. Collected runoff should be passed through retention ponds to collect suspended solids before discharge. Provision of adequate sewage collection, treatment and disposal systems to serve the entire port/harbour complex including a shoreline interceptor for receiving liquid wastes from all shoreline installations. Special hose connections must be provided to allow ships to discharge sewage, bilge wastes and other liquid wastes into the sewage collection systems. Without these provisions, ships and onshore installations are likely to discharge their wastewater directly into the harbour waters. Also, provision should be made for removal of all floatable materials including oils. Provision of a comprehensive solid waste management system for the entire complex including ships. Provision for control of oil spills at ports and harbours used for importing/exporting petroleum oil or products from oil refineries.It is advantageous to plan and design a comprehensive onshore/offshore sanitary waste operation under a single management system. For port/harbour complexes that are located near unconfined coastal waters with high diluting/absorbing capacities, it is often feasible to discharge effluents into these waters via a submarine outfall. This, however, is not acceptable in confined coastal or inland waters. Whichever waste disposal system is selected, periodic monitoring of its effects on the environment is essential. This should include monitoring both inside and outside the port/harbour.Other pollution control measure should also include:1. Maintenance of water supply and wastewater treatment system2. Collection and disposal of waste from ships and onshore facilities3. Monitoring and enforcing pollution prevention regulations affecting vessels4. Carrying out regular monitoring to identify adverse environmental changes caused by pollution5. Developing a green belt around the industry, which is an effective method of attenuation of waste residuals subsequent to pollution control measures . Green belts absorb air and water pollutants, arrest noise and soil erosion as well as create favourable climatic and aesthetic conditions.A case studyA study has been conducted in the port and harbour region under the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), New Mumbai, India. This port is situated along the eastern side of the Mumbai harbour opposite the Ele- phanta Island, covering a water area of about 52 km[footnoteRef:1]. The port shares a common channel with Mumbai port up to the point of entry to the South Elephanta channel. It is about 6 nautical miles by water route from the Gateway of India (Gupta et al. 2003a). Figure 2 shows the map of Mumbai city and the location of JNPT. [1: the annual average NOx, SO2 and TSP levels were]

Water quality was monitored at six monitoring stations. The stations W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5 were fixed, while station W6 was mobile as shown in Fig. 2. The water quality survey was carried out once every month. The survey was arranged in such a way so as to cover the six stations in two phases covering three stations each day. To achieve this, three motorized launches were used, which were anchored at each of the selected stations at the time of sample collection. Nensen type water samplers of 2.5-l capacity were used to take the water samples at each station at a depth of 1 m below the surface, at mid-depth and at 1 m above the sea bottom. The depth at the station was measured before the collection of water sample using a lead line. A number of samples were collected at each station for both the flood and the ebb tides (Gupta et al. 2003a).

02000A0006000*0001000012190Distance in X -direction (m)Fig. 2 Location of study area, water and air quality monitoring stationsAir quality was monitored at five monitoring stations and are shown in Fig. 2 (Gupta et al. 2003b). Out of these five stations, four were fixed and one was adaptable, with its location being changed in every monitoring cycle. The fixed stations were the administration building (AB), port operation centre (POC), residential colony (RC) and Jaskhar police station (JPS). The adaptable station was one of the following viz., bulk gate complex (BGC), guest house No.2 (GH2), E2 (near E2 building), E7 (near E7 building), port users building (PUB) and opposite conveyer belt (OCB).In this study, the data collected and analysed from detailed monitoring of ambient air quality, marine water quality and meteorological data for a period of 4 years are presented. Specific conclusions drawn from the study are as follows: could subsequently be reduced by proper mitigation measures.2. Monthly mean concentrations of NOx were in the range of 19.5-59.0 ig/m[footnoteRef:2]. The NOx concentrations were observed to be the highest during the winter season. [2: within their standards. However, on many occasions and at some sites the 24-h limit was exceeded, but]

3. The concentrations of SO2 increased gradually from the year 1997-2000. This may be due to increase in port activities and ship traffic, which have an annual growth of about 15%.4. The maximum concentration of NH3 was observed at the port operation centre site, which is in close proximity to the location, where loading and unloading of fertilizer is carried out. It was found that gaseous and particulate pollutants have their maximum values during winter season, while NH3 has a maximum value during post-monsoon season, confirming the relation of NH3 to ambient temperature.5. The TSP concentrations were quite high, particularly for the sites situated in the areas, where port activity is high like loading and unloading of the material, vehicular movement etc. The average TSP values in general showed a higher concentration in winter and summer months than in the rainy season.6. PM10 data appears to be a constant fraction of the TSP data throughout the year, indicating common influences of meteorology and sources. Particle size analysis showed PM10 to be 47% of the total TSP concentration, which is lower than reported for industrial area and traffic junctions in Mumbai. Anthropogenic sources contribute significantly to the

PM10 fraction in an industrial region, while contributions from the natural sources are more in a port and harbour area.7. Marine water quality results do not show any regular trend. Correlation, regression and factor analyses have been carried out for the water quality parameters. The results show that BOD and DO were inversely correlated. Factor analysis results show that out of the eight variables four factors have been drawn, which represent 74% of the variance of the original data. Over 84% of the variance in suspended solid, while 76% of the variance in temperature, BOD and turbidity are accounted for, respectively. Observed and predicted concentrations at different sites were quite close to each other.A comprehensive database with quality assurance and quality control for ambient air and marine water quality for a port area has been generated. The monitoring data has been collected as per the norms prescribed by the regulatory authorities of the country and hence can be very useful for environmental management of the port.This study, which deals with a comprehensive and integrated monitoring and modelling of ambient air and marine water quality in a port area, can be effectively used for the development of rational control and management strategies to reduce pollution levels due to various port activities. The results of the study on identification of sources, hot spots and adverse time periods for air pollution have led to the recommendation of the pollution control measures discussed in the previous section for improvement in air and water quality of the port and harbour region. Some examples of specific pollution control measures are given below:(a) Suspended particulate matter concentrations were found to exceed at those stations, which are in close proximity to the operations area. This is mainly due to fugitive wind-blown dust during loading and unloading operations and storages. The concentration of particulate matter can be reduced by spraying water or suitable chemical over the bulk material so that wind-blown dust is reduced.(b) A common preventive technique for the control of fugitive particulate emissions is to enclose the sources either fully or partially. Proper bag filters in conveyor belts must be used for collection of dust and the use of conveyor belt should be minimized. Results show that resuspension of dust due to wind and vehicular movement over the road surface is a major source. Controlling resuspension of road dust may be the most effective way of reducing particulate pollutants in ambient air.ConclusionsThe environmental strategy to control pollution levels are as follows:1. The improvement of existing port operations and facilities, the movement of bulk cargoes out of ports where the surrounding environment is particularly sensitive to pollution and where modern handling and storage facilities cannot be provided.2. The concentration of new capacity in those ports that are most able to handle larger ships and large volumes of cargo and that can therefore justify investment in modern handling equipments which are less likely to give rise to pollution.3. The development of new ports away from environmentally sensitive locations, where sufficient land exists for the future expansion of port-related industries. Where ports have to be developed near areas of environmental importance, or with limited backup land, careful design and the incorporation of mitigation measures will be used to reduce any adverse impacts to an absolute minimum.In view of the likely increase in port development over the next decade, it is suggested that government in every country should consider the eventual establishment of a specialist port environmental planning unit, which could be responsible for gathering improved data on coastal environment in the vicinity of key ports, advising on environmental issues and identifying new practices, techniques and technologies.Acknowledgements The authors are very thankful to the management and staff of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, New Mumbai, India, for providing cooperation and financial support for carrying out the project entitled Environmental Management Plan for Jawaharlal Nehru Port Area.ReferencesChua TE (1995a) A collective responsibility. Asian Energy Year Book. Petroleum Economists Ltd., London, pp 114-115 Chua TE (1995b) Marine pollution: development since UNCLOS III and prospects for regional cooperation. In: Koh KL, Beckman RC, Chia LS (eds) SEAPOL Singapore conference on sustainable development of coastal and ocean areas, past rio perspectives. South East Asia Programme in Ocean Law and Management, Singapore, pp 144-176 Chua TE, Ross AR (1998) Pollution prevention and management in the east Asian Seas, a paradigm shift in concept, approach and methodology. International maritime organization regional programme for the prevention and management of marine pollution in the east Asian Seas, Quezon City, MPP-EAS Technical Report 15, 45 Galloway JM (1989) Atmospheric acidification: projections for the future. Ambio 18:161-166 Gupta AK, Patil RS, Gupta SK (2002) Emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants in a port and harbour region in India. Environ Monit Assess 80:187-205 Gupta AK, Gupta SK, Patil RS (2003a) A comparison of water quality indices for costal water. J Environ Sci Health A38(11):2711-2725 Gupta AK, Patil RS, Gupta SK (2003b) A long-term study of oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and ammonia for a port and harbour region in India. J Environ Sci Health A38(12):2877-2894 Lawrence MG, Crutzen PJ (1999) Influence of NOx emissions from ships on tropospheric photochemistry and climate. Nature 402:167-170Rodhe H (1989) Acidification in a global perspective. Ambio 18:155-160Streets DG, Carmichael GR, Amann M, Arndt RL (1997) Sulphur dioxide emissions and sulphur deposition from international shipping in Asian waters. Atmos Environ 31:1573-1582Streets DG, Guttikunda SK, Carmichael GR (2000) The growing contribution of sulphur emissions from ships in Asian waters1988-1995. Atmos Environ 34:4425-44391.Air quality of the region is generally good. Overall