Olumide Omotoso has vast experience working as a hydrographer with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). He talks on the importance of hydrography in safe navigation, as it falls within the theme for the 2016 World Hydrographic Day ‘Hydrography: The Key to well-managed seas.’ In this exclusive interview with Marine Network, Omotoso ties the importance of well-managed seas to the sustainability of vital means of livelihood, especially for maritime nations.
The World Hydrographic Day is celebrated on every June 21. For this year, the Nigerian Hydrographic Society is celebrating as well, with the theme internationally as ‘Hydrography: The key to well-managed seas.
The United Nations’ priority on good management of seas and waterways is critical, because the ocean is where we derive our livelihood, and safety of navigation is also critical in anything we
do.
do.
The world hydrographic day is also an opportunity to create safety awareness and the vital role that hydrography plays in our everyday lives; the environment, the aquatic life, in terms of
navigation, shipping and every other area of our lives.
navigation, shipping and every other area of our lives.
Even in disaster management, fisheries management, it is applicable everywhere because the entire marine environment is inter-connected. As far as we are concerned, once we have the marine environment, hydrography is the backbone , any way you look at it, because you need to know the dynamics of the rivers; what are the status of the underwater, what it contains, the dimension, the depth, the position.
So, it is critical that our seas, our rivers, are all managed well for sustainable support of the human life and coastal nations like Nigeria that depend solely on the oil and gas.
