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The IMRF's #FutureSAR initiative identifies the key challenges the global maritime search and rescue (SAR) industry will face as a result of climate change and proposes guidance and best practices that will aid rescue operations in the future. The initiative is the world’s first SAR industry-wide response to the effects of climate change on the maritime SAR sector as coastal communities, maritime activity and the infrastructure that they depend on are exposed to increasing risks.

#FutureSAR looks at how SAR services may be able to deal with climate change-related challenges, including new rescue scenarios such as storm surges, implementing new technologies such as alternative fuels, and protecting infrastructure such as lifeboat facilities. The initiative also considers some ways the global maritime SAR community can contribute to the wider shipping industry’s drive to decarbonise and achieve net zero.

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#FutureSAR Report

IMRF #FutureSAR report is the final report of the first phase of #FutureSAR initiative and can be downloaded below. The report separately looks at adaptations required by SAR services to climate change, and mitigation measures that these services could do to alleviate climatic change. However, the emphasis of the report is on adaptation. While the report focuses primarily on maritime SAR in oceans and seas, it also covers SAR operations conducted in inland lakes.

The report is divided into impacts on different sectors of the SAR organisation, including administration, vessel design and building, equipment, operational personnel and training, operations, stations, and units. The division is designed to assist the reader in looking into impacts relevant for them. The report comprises of 85 identified impacts climate change may have on SAR services globally. Each of the impacts is presented in the report, and further broken down into more detailed impact mechanisms.

The report also comprises 303 checklist items related to the identified impacts. The importance of each action varies depending on the specific circumstances typical for each organisation and location. Some of them are likely to influence all SAR organisations, whereas others will only be applicable to some. Therefore, organisations are encouraged to go through the impacts and the associated checklist items to assess which impacts are relevant for them either now or in the future.

The report is accompanied by an Executive Summary that highlights some of the main impacts identified in the report. As a concrete tool for SAR organisations, an Excel file listing all the checklist items can be downloaded for further use in the organisations. 

We welcome your feedback on the report. Feedback can be provided through this link.

Download the Report

Download the Executive Summary

Download the Checklist Items (.xlsx file)

     

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If you have any questions and/or would like any further information or to assist us with our #FutureSAR Initiative, please contact Jaakko Heikkilä at [email protected].

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