2022 - UDA Digest

Seaweeds – An irreplaceable necessity to the mankind

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September 1, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading Global food consumption is leading to food shortages due to the increase in the human population. As a result of the latter, the western world is showing an increasing interest in alternative food sources, such as the saltwater macroalgae known as seaweed. Cultivation of macroalgae produced offshore is a promising food source as it does not compete with food crops for arable land or drinking water. Additionally, seaweed is a good way to mitigate climate change and is good for purifying eutrophic waters that might otherwise suffer massive biodiversity losses. This is critical to eliminating the need to feed a growing population on a planet where there will not be enough land for agricultural crops, as seaweed production does not compete for inland arable land, freshwater, or agricultural fertilizers. Seaweeds are photoautotrophic organisms and one of the main producers in brackish and brackish waters. They synthesize organic matter together with light and CO2 from inorganic nutrients such as dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). The organic material produced can then be eaten by another organism in the ecosystem or used in foodstuffs and other products. Algae are divided into three main groups known as green (Chlorophyta), brown (Phaeophyta), and red seaweeds (Rhodophyta). This distinction is based on differences in color, habitat, morphology, and chemical composition. Currently, the leading seaweed producers are China and Indonesia with 29 million tons, accounting for 85% of the total global seaweed production in 2019.Seaweed is not limited to this and can be used in biofiltration and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) to neutralize nutrient concentrations. The seaweeds produced later can be used in products such as food, fertilizer, high-value products (carrageenan, agar, etc.), or biofuels. Part of state-of-the-art seaweed-based integrated aquaculture is now focused on growing high-value seaweed species not previously used in integrated systems, increasing tank culture success for seaweed yield, and reducing unwanted fish species. effects of intensive fish farming. Much of the research on integrated aquaculture is based on the integration of bio-filtered seaweed and fish farming. There are also studies focusing on the integration of seaweed and shrimp culture. Why to farm seaweed? “What makes wild seaweed harvesting and farming attractive to coastal communities is that the technology is relatively simple, requires a low initial capital investment, the crop can be harvested in about six weeks, and can be dried on straw, turf, or grass beach sand.” Seaweed has been used around the world for centuries and was originally considered a food source only for coastal communities. Besides its wide-ranging use in many industries (as will be detailed later), seaweed greatly contributes to the nutritional status of communities due to its rich macronutrient composition such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and chlorine, sulphur, phosphorus; micronutrients (iodine, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum, fluoride, manganese, boron, nickel, and cobalt); and vitamins (B12, A, K). For example, in iodine intake, the daily adult requirement of 150 ug/day is easily met by small amounts of seaweed, especially brown algae such as seaweed, whose iodine content ranges from 1 500-8 000 parts per million. According to the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is the most common and easily preventable cause of impaired cognitive development in children in the world. “Seaweeds also provide protection to a variety of organisms with increased biodiversity. They absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce global warming. They are also effective in controlling organic and inorganic loads, including heavy metals, in coastal waters, and thus in maintaining ecological balances.” Large-scale aquaculture of seaweeds is one of the climate-resilient aquaculture techniques and crucial for reducing ocean acidification, it is indeed a green technology without energy, fertilizers, and chemical inputs. “A major advantage in growing seaweed is that fish and fisheries species do not usually need feeds, cost, and availability, which are often limiting factors in aquaculture. It also requires no elaborate setups and causes little damage to the seabed and fishing resources.” Also, because farmlands are in tidal zones, women and children can safely access seaweed fields. These factors give women an important opportunity to earn some income for themselves and their families, while men work as fishermen and in other industries. Some studies have also indicated that women tend to be more patient and more willing to learn about managing their local seaweed resources in a sustainable way. This trend is seen in every region, especially in the Asia and Pacific region (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) and Africa (Ghana, Morocco, Zanzibar (Tanzania)). Meanwhile, researchers are moving towards finding greener techniques in the cultivation and use, such as seaweed stocks. India’s Potential in seaweed Production: Although there are many sheltered bays and lagoons suitable for aquaculture, no large-scale attempts have been made to grow seaweed in India so far. With a total of 7,517 km of coastline along with its coastal states and islands, India is home to about 844 species of seaweed. Estimates of potential seaweed production from Indian waters suggest that using 0.30 million hectares of land along the coastline, 30 million tonnes could be produced at an estimated yield of 100 tonnes/ha/year. “Efforts need to be made to increase production by improving harvesting techniques, removing competing

ESG and Climate Risk Geopolitics and IR Maritime Security

Acoustic Capacity & Capability Building in the Tropical Littoral Waters of the Indo-Pacific Strategic Space

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August 25, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading The global strategic interactions have increasingly shifted to the tropical littoral waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, referred as the Indo-Pacific strategic space. The global powers have built, multiple groupings like the Five Eyes (FVEY) Alliance, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) and many more to ensure coordination and cooperation. These groupings work on building effective situational awareness in real time to be able to respond appropriately. Science & Technology (S&T) infrastructure is the core for any Domain Awareness initiative and adequate infrastructure building requires a long term and sustained effort. The Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), thus becomes the de-facto framework to effectively manage a maritime construct like the Indo-Pacific. The traditional MDA became an event driven initiative, post the 9/11 in the US and the west. In the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the 26/11 was a trigger for large scale MDA activities and infrastructure building. However, such events also made it a security focused approach with least participation by the other stakeholders. The defence budget had to do the heavy lifting, to build capacity and capability at an unprecedented scale. Developing democracies, find it extremely challenging to allocate higher amounts for security related spending, given the other competing socio-economic and socio-political requirements. The conventional MDA has remained on surface with very little penetration into the underwater domain. The resource availability is just one issue, as very specialized and more often classified knowhow is required for the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA). The tropical region of the Indo-Pacific is unique on multiple fronts. The socio-political realities ensure significant governance challenges leading to security concerns and interference by vested interest groups in governance. The socio-economic realities have meant, minimal allocation of resources for sustained S&T investment and long-term capacity & capability building vision. The physical aspect translates to sub-optimal performance of the sonars deployed for acoustic survey across military & non-military applications. “The degradation of sonar performance is of the order of 60%, making it extremely difficult to plan any meaningful deployment. It is important to note that the west is too eager to export their products into these markets, however they have no bandwidth to deploy scientific manpower to customize their products for the local tropical conditions. ” The tropical waters are marked by Sound Velocity Profile (SVP) that have their Sound Axis much deeper that the other regions. The depth of sound axis at the equator is of the order of 2000 m and at the poles is 50 m. The sound axis behaves like a lens and focusses the sound propagation around it, thus in the polar region the interaction with the surface and the bottom of the sea is minimal. The interaction with the two boundaries, determines the acoustic behavior of the propagating sound signal and in the tropical waters the surface roughness and bottom characteristics have much higher fluctuations. The shallow vs deep has two interpretations – the hypsometric definition is based on the continental shelf that extends upto 200 nm from the coast and then there is a sudden drop in the depth. The depth at the edge of the continental shelf is 200 m, so below 200 m depth is referred as shallow waters, and beyond 200 m is referred as deep waters. However, acoustically the region where there is more interaction with the two boundaries are called shallow and this determines the acoustic propagation efficiency. The tropical waters, due to the higher depth of the sound axis, acoustically behaves like a shallow region with poor acoustic propagation efficiency even upto depth of water extending to 2000 m. Thus, tropical waters are acoustically always referred to as littoral waters, irrespective of the depth of water. Acoustic propagation is mainly impacted by two factors. The first is the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) based on the ambient noise present in the region. The second is the underwater medium fluctuations based on the interaction of the propagating acoustic signal with the water column and the two boundaries. Scientifically, the accurate assessment/prediction of the ambient noise levels and the underwater medium fluctuations (sometimes we refer to as channel distortions), is the first step to enhance sonar performance. Increasing the signal of interest is not possible, so SNR enhancement can be ensured only by minimizing the noise. Similarly, the mitigation of the underwater channel distortion is a critical signal processing requirement to enhance sonar performance. “Acoustic capacity and capability building thus, refers to accurate prediction and subsequent mitigation of the ambient noise and underwater channel. Modelling & Simulation (M&S) and real time field experimental validation is the key to such acoustic capacity & capability building.” The ambient noise in the underwater domain, mainly has three main dominant sources. The first is the low frequency sound (below 2000 Hz), due to shipping activities. This is the most dominant and ubiquitous component of ambient noise and being low frequency has least attenuation while propagating. The impact of low frequency shipping noise is observed across thousands of kms. The second is the wind noise in the frequency band of 2 to 15 KHz. They have localized impact and have diurnal and seasonal patterns. The

ESG and Climate Risk

Pollution and biomagnification and its impacts on marine life

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August 20, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading The world’s oceans are a magical, diverse, and abundant ecosystem that mankind needs in order to survive. The oceans cover over 72 percent of the planet’s surface, provide over 97 percent of the world’s water supply and over 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe. Oceans are the principal component of Earth’s hydrosphere, the world ocean is integral to all known life, form’s part of the carbon cycle, and influences climate and weather patterns. Unfortunately, the rapid increase in the number of people living near the coast and the uncontrolled developmental activities are resulting in marine pollution. Pollution is a major problem that has negative effects on the planet’s ecosystems, including the oceans. In many parts of the globe, economic development has been most active in coastal zones, putting enormous pressures on coastal ecosystems. We have so much to thank the oceans for, however, they are threatened daily by natural and manmade pollution. “Over the last decade, we have produced more plastic than we have in the last 100 years. This sharp increase in plastic entering our waters harms not only marine life but also humanity. Plastic kills fish, birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, destroys habitats and even affects animals’ mating rituals, which can have devastating consequences and can wipe out entire species. ” In recent decades, pollution of marine ecosystems has gained much attention. Ocean transport of oil, the extraction and processing of offshore hydrocarbon deposits, and manufacturing in refineries near coastal regions, as well as other anthropogenic activities, pose several hazards that can lead to water pollution. Marine (navigation) accidents involving oil tankers or spills from offshore drilling platforms have caused disasters accompanied by huge contamination, with grave repercussions. Marine wildlife faces a growing number of threats across the globe, and the survival of many species and populations will be dependent on conservation action. Now a days the Underwater Sound pollution has also become a major threat for environment. Most marine animals, particularly marine mammals, and fish, are very sensitive to sound. Noise can travel long distances underwater, blanketing large areas, and potentially preventing marine animals from hearing their prey or predators, finding their way, or connecting with mates, group members, or their young. Decreased species diversity in whales and dolphins was related to an increase in seismic noise. “Biomagnification has insane effects on marine life such as Biomagnification makes marine animals more prone to several diseases and effects on Reproduction and Development of Marine Creatures since the toxic chemicals accumulate in the important organs of aquatic organisms that affect their reproduction and development processes.” For e.g., the shells of the eggs of the sea-birds are very thin that might get crushed by the birds themselves during incubation. The toxic chemicals, mercury and selenium destroy the reproductive organs of aquatic creatures and destroy the Coral Reefs because of cyanide that is used in leaching gold and fishing, is the main cause of the destruction of coral reefs. Coral reefs are the dwelling and feeding grounds for many sea creatures. Their destruction affects the lives of many aquatic animals and mainly cause disruption of Food Chain because of the chemicals and toxins which are released into the water bodies disrupt the food chain. The small organisms absorb the toxins which are eaten up by larger animals. These toxins, thus, get accumulated in the higher level of organisms. For this study monitoring data on selected compounds were retrieved from the literature. The following chemicals were chosen due to their environmental relevance as well as the availability of monitoring data (ASMO 1995): Pentachlorophenol (PCP), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chloro phenyl)ethane (DDT), 1,1,-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene (DDE), lct,2a,313,4ct,5ct,613-hexachloro cyclohexane (lindane or “/-HCH), 1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-6,7-epoxy-l,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-endo,exo 1,4:5,8-dimethanonaphthalene (dieldrine), naphthalene, anthracene, fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chloroparaffins (CPs), tributyltinoxide (TBTO), cadmium and mercury. The accumulation of chemicals in fish depends on the aquatic concentration and the bioconcentration factor (BCF), but the respective data have rarely been measured with marine species. Evaluation of the available literature data revealed that the accumulation in marine and freshwater fish differs generally by less than a factor of 10, i.e., within the range of experimental and interspecies variance. Different oceans have different characteristics, varying in depth, temperature, topography, circulation, etc., varying with depth, temperature, topography, circulation etc., which need to be considered while deducing a suitable model. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) pose some significant challenges. Its warm temperature renders it vulnerable to climatic fluctuations like monsoons, tsunamis, cyclones, and high winds. Moreover, the tropical littoral waters of the IOR lead to sub-optimal performance of any kind of sonar, hampering the performance. Additionally, the rich biodiversity in the seas of IOR leads to multiple reflections of the emitted signal causing a complex signal packet at the receiver’s end. Such challenges must be tackled while solving the model to get relevant results. “The bioconcentration factors in marine species appear to be systematically lower, hence it may be justified to use freshwater BCF data also for hazard assessments for marine ecosystems if the respective measurements are unavailable. Combining the BCF values with toxicity data (no observed effect concentration “NOEC”) for fish yields the critical body burden (CBB), the contaminant level inside the organisms

ESG and Climate Risk Geopolitics and IR Science and Technology

Sediment Bearing Pressure Analysis using Sediment Classification Techniques in Indian Ocean Region

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July 28, 2022
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Key Highlights Sediment classification techniques help determine sediment grain size, sediment topography, and the various properties related to them Developing acoustic remote sensing techniques for sediment classification has proven to be a game-changer in understanding the seabed The Indian Ocean Region’s warm temperature renders it vulnerable to climatic fluctuations like monsoons, tsunamis, cyclones, and high winds Sediment-bearing pressure estimation at the seafloor is one of the crucial applications of the Acoustic Seafloor Classification Sediment classification using acoustic remote sensing techniques has led to more understanding of the seafloor than ever before. Heading The Indian Ocean is the world’s third-biggest body of water, with key maritime routes crisscrossing it and feeding Asia’s most significant economies. The Indian Ocean holds 16.8% of the world’s proven oil reserves and 27.9% of the world’s proven natural gas reserves. Moreover, it is home to major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. Today, the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is experiencing unprecedented strategic challenges, with changes in political thought processes and relations altering the region’s security scenario. The region’s marine troops and capabilities have expanded gradually to an accelerated level. “The increasing presence of extra-regional powers and nuclear-capable states has shifted the security framework even more. Safe navigation is an essential aspect of trade and movement perspectives.” Features on the seabed that may pose a threat to navigation, whether natural or artificial, must be detected to guarantee safe navigation. This can be done using seafloor classification, one of the main aspects being sediment classification. The sediment classification techniques help determine sediment grain size, sediment topography, and the various properties related to them. Until a few decades ago, physical samples were drilled out from the coastal waters and laboratory tested to find the composition, grain size distribution, and type of the particles in the sediment layers. This technique, however, is restricted by scale, is tedious and requires high capital. Seafloor classification using acoustic remote sensing techniques, which involves using different sonars, is the main attraction nowadays due to their high coverage and limited costs. These techniques rely on the emission and capture of sound wave signals, which get distorted while propagating the various layers of sediment, marine wildlife, rocks etc. A mathematical model is equipped to interpret these distortions, which are compared with existing data from physical samples to closely match the sediment type present. All the information collected is required for proper navigation and numerous other aspects ranging from defence to biology, from construction to resource extraction etc. Developing the acoustic remote sensing techniques for sediment classification has proven to be a game-changer in understanding the seabed. With acoustic systems like sonars carried by ships, submarines or AUVs, it is possible to map a large portion of seabed in a relatively short time, consuming fewer resources than conventional physical methods. With the development of new efficient algorithms for processing the signal data, the resources and time needed is further reduced. “The advances in the techniques used for sediment classification have led to a more comprehensive and less tedious description of the sediment topography. Even with various models and algorithms, one can’t just take up a well-established model for any region. ” There are challenges in choosing a particular technique or model for the survey. The models are based on optimising the mathematical results obtained from the model and the experimental data. The solution of the model involves solving equations which may differ from model to model, thus affecting the complexity of the model. Based on the complexity of the mathematical model, high computational resources and capital might be needed, leading to the inefficiency of the model. Moreover, there is a restriction to the model’s applicability, generally, a model would be applied in a particular region only, and application to other areas would require significant changes in the model. Different oceans have different characteristics, varying in depth, temperature, topography, circulation, etc., varying with depth, temperature, topography, circulation etc., which need to be considered while deducing a suitable model. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) pose some significant challenges. Its warm temperature renders it vulnerable to climatic fluctuations like monsoons, tsunamis, cyclones, and high winds. Moreover, the tropical littoral waters of the IOR lead to sub-optimal performance of any kind of sonar, hampering the performance. Additionally, the rich biodiversity in the seas of IOR leads to multiple reflections of the emitted signal causing a complex signal packet at the receiver’s end. Such challenges must be tackled while solving the model to get relevant results. “Acoustic sediment classification is crucial in a variety of domains. When the acoustic signals strike the surface of an object, the signal gets reflected, transmitted and absorbed by the media, with each media having different characteristics. ” The received signal can then determine the feature presentation at the location. This has a variety of practical applications. Underwater Communication: Since sound is the medium of communication underwater, the acoustic classification technique can be used to determine the speed of sound at various locations and depths, proving to be very critical for underwater communication in submarines; Autonomous Underwater Vehicle(AUV), ships etc. Mine Hunting: Acoustic signals can detect minerals like nickel, copper, manganese and even gold deep beneath the seafloor. Extraction of such minerals present in the Exclusive Economic Zone of a nation would enhance the nation’s industry, trade and economy. Underwater Cable Routes: The ocean floor topography can be estimated using remote sensing acoustic techniques, helping in the route planning of the underwater communication cables, crucial for inter-continental data transfer. Ecosystem Classification: Acoustic techniques are used for marine biological resource mapping and ecosystem management. Different species lead to various signal distortions that can be used to classify ecologically sensitive areas and marine wildlife monitoring. Sediment Bearing Pressure: Estimating the sediment-bearing pressure, strength, and stability of the sediment layers is essential for offshore construction and exploration activities of offshore structures. Sediment-bearing pressure estimation at the seafloor is one of the crucial applications of the Acoustic Seafloor Classification. The Indian

ESG and Climate Risk Science and Technology

A Machine Learning based Model for Estimating shipping noise in Indian Ocean Region

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July 28, 2022
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Key Highlights Machine learning is the application of artificial intelligence that can learn automatically and improve from experience rather than explicit programming Machine learning usage has started to rise in the maritime domain and a lot of research has been done to incorporate it into the various domains of maritime Some mathematical models have been developed for estimating this radiated noise but these models have some drawbacks Challenges with existing mathematical models are related to time complexity, some parameters that required web scraping, a lot of computation, incorrect for modern ships, etc We have to develop effective and efficient ML-based algorithms which are accurate and useful We have to keep an open database that contains data related to the shipping industry that can be useful for the maritime domain Heading Underwater radiated noise management is a very important research area. There are multiple dimensions for URN management like identification of ship noise and vibration sources and mitigating noise and vibration at the design stage itself, transmission path analyzed for reducing noise and radiated noise through underwater medium should be analysed as this is the transmission path for noise to interact with the environment. Various stakeholders are interested in these kinds of applications related to their requirements. Overview of the Topic In the following article, the author has discussed the machine learning approach for estimating or predicting shipping noise as Machine Learning is changing the world by transforming all segments including healthcare services, education, transport, food, entertainment, etc. Machine learning is the application of artificial intelligence that can learn automatically and improve from experience rather than explicit programming. It contains various intelligent algorithms that can learn automatically from past data and are highly accurate in giving predictions based on that data. “Machine learning usage has started to rise in the maritime domain and a lot of research has been done to incorporate it into the various domains of maritime. Some of these are Anomaly detection in the maritime domain, the Impact of machine learning on maritime transportation, Enhancing the Condition-Based maintenance process of naval ships, the Classification of underwater acoustic targets (achieving 96.99% accuracy with DBN), etc. ” A Brief Discussion on Ship Noise Sources As the ship design advances, for structural optimization and high speed to satisfy market demands, there are vibration and noise increment become trouble. At high speeds, broadband noise approximately covers the range from 100Hz to several kHz. Different noise generation sources are Propeller Noise which is mainly because of propeller cavitation, Machinery Noise which is because of various mechanical devices like engines, propulsion, auxiliary system, gearbox, ducts, pipes, etc. and third Hydrodynamic Flow Noise which is due to interaction of hull and appendages with the water. Significance of the Topic First, we have to develop methods for mitigating shipping radiated noise as this radiated noise has become a very serious issue. So, for that first, we have to estimate the noise to know that noise generated by the ship is below target levels, set by international maritime authorities, and if not then make some modifications for mitigating the noise. The main three reasons are described below because of that we have to focus on estimating the underwater radiated noise: Effects of Shipping Noise Firstly, for naval platforms, radiated noise mitigation is a major requirement to avoid detection from enemy sonar and mines as excessive noise and unnecessary vibration can cause of detection of naval warships by enemy sonar on their radar system. After World War II, acoustic stealth for the naval platform is placed on very high priority and much research has been done in this specific area. Secondly, for crew and passengers’ safety, there should be a safe working environment on the ship. The excessive noise and vibrations produced by propulsion and auxiliary systems are harmful and can significantly affect the passengers and crew present on a vessel and can also become the cause of fatigue failure in the formation & propagation of cracks due to repetitive loads because of forced vibrations. The third main reason is related to underwater species as many underwater species are depended on acoustic waves for their survival, for example – avoidance from predators, communications, navigation, etc. Because of ship radiated noise and vibrations, their acoustic vision seriously degrades. “Therefore, we have to establish a proper management plan for this underwater radiated noise as this issue is getting recognized by international authorities like the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Maritime Organization (IMO) for establishing and monitoring rules and regulations. ” Need for Machine Learning Based Prediction Model As the actual measurement process requires the deployment of hydrophones or sensors in seawater which is difficult to do on a big scale as Oceans are spread over large areas. So we have to establish some estimating or predicting methods that can predict the ship radiated noise with help of some parameters that are provided by AIS data. Some mathematical models have been developed for estimating this radiated noise but these models have some drawbacks. Therefore we have to develop an ML-based model for predicting this noise as ML has very intelligent algorithms that can learn automatically from training data and can predict the underwater radiated noise with very high accuracy. Many researchers have used Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence for their research in the various applications of the maritime domain as some of them are mentioned above and they found that machine learning or AI is very useful and predicts the results with high accuracy. So we should go towards Machine Learning for estimating underwater radiated shipping noise. Some Common Challenges & Recommendations We are facing some challenges at the time in measuring or predicting the underwater radiated noise. Challenges with existing mathematical models are related to time complexity, some parameters that required web scraping, a lot of computation, incorrect for modern ships, etc. Here, I am using a machine learning model for the estimation of ship radiated noise. Some of the challenges

ESG and Climate Risk Science and Technology

Water Resource Management & Acoustic Capacity & Capability Building – A New Perspective based on the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Framework

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July 18, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading India and Pakistan signed a water-sharing agreement in 1960 to peacefully share the waters of the Indus Basin. The uncertain water-sharing scenario between the two countries that had existed since the 1947 partition came to an end with this agreement. Of the several transboundary water g the parties. India was granted the right to “non-consumptive” usage under the Indus Waters Treaty, but Pakistan “has virtually prevented India from exploiting the non-consumptive uses, hydropower in particular, effectively.” By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. There may be room for India and Pakistan to lessen their reliance on Indus waters if possible changes in the economic structure of the basin take place, such as a widespread move away from water-intensive agriculture. Power deficits: In Pakistan and north-western India, intensive urban economic expansion has resulted in electricity shortfalls (manifested as “load shedding,” or planned blackouts), which is likely to increase friction over water. “Good management of water resources will bring more certainty and efficiency in productivity across economic sectors and will contribute to the health of the ecosystem. Thus, water resource management and water quality management need a nuanced approach.” The tropical region has some unique characteristics, and it is important to discuss these, prior to attempting any management initiatives. The conventional approach to importing technology & knowhow from the west (temperate region) has failed miserably due to this disconnect in our appreciation of the unique tropical characteristics. We can categorize the tropical characteristics into political, economic and physical, for the ease of analysis. The politically pre-modern states in the tropical region, means that the governance mechanism is still evolving. The extra-regional powers, particularly from the west, continue to meddle in their domestic politics and limit their ability to put an effective policy framework in place to manage the challenges and opportunities. Geopolitics and geostrategic events drive the domestic policy initiatives at the cost of long term strategic national interests. Political leadership, are too dependent on external support for their political survival and thus, get managed by their evil design at the cost of national interest. The politics drives economic prudence. The west continues to push their products in these markets and refuses to share the technology & knowhow, keeping them dependent in the long term. More often than not, these technologies are discarded and outdated technologies being phased out in their own markets, due to sustainability concerns and obsolescence. The west driven political and economic structures have ensured complete erosion of the traditional and indigenous practices that are deeply connected, to the local site-specific ground realities. The tropical region has high temperatures and equally high rainfall, compared to the other regions. This leads to very high siltation in the water bodies due to rapid sediment flow. The poor governance mechanism ensures high anthropogenic activities by the local communities leading to reduced forest cover along the freshwater systems, resulting in enhanced siltation. Heightened economic activities with least appreciation of the local ecosystem and traditional practices, further raises sustainability concerns. ” he rapid urbanization and unregulated industrialization, has led to enhanced pollution of the water bodies and also depletion of the groundwater. India uses more than 90% of groundwater for irrigated agriculture. Remainder of the 24 billion cubic meters of groundwater supplies to 85% of the countries drinking water. Thus, close to 80% of India’s 1.35 billion population depends on groundwater for both drinking and irrigation. ” The freshwater systems like the reservoirs, natural lakes and river systems in the tropical region are highly silted. In India the sediment deposition is of the order of 50%. This leads to flooding during the monsoons and water stress during dry seasons. The urban centers have started facing severe crisis, as the near complete concretization and poor drainage systems, has led to massive urban flooding and minimal groundwater recharging during monsoons. The level of aquifers has gone down dangerously low with frequent and prohibitively high cost of boring for domestic users. Poor waste management in the urban centers has further led to serious contamination of the groundwater to dangerous levels. Sediment management of the freshwater systems will require precise sediment classification. The sediment classification in water bodies will require acoustic survey techniques using sonars. The tropical region ensures sub-optimal performance of the sonars of the order of 60%, due to random temperature fluctuations and corresponding distortions in the sound velocity profile. Thus, Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) is a big challenge to plan any meaningful management of the underwater resources both in the marine as well as freshwater systems. Import of sonar systems from the west in the absence of indigenous field experimental R&D to compensate for the local site-specific characteristics is a serious issue. The sediment classification is a critical pre-requisite to plan any de-siltation as the specific dredging method will depend upon the type of silt ranging from hard rock to soft mud. The cost of dredging varies significantly based on the nature of silt and could be prohibitive at the high end of the spectrum.

ESG and Climate Risk Science and Technology

The Indus’ Eastern Rivers: Food Security, Water Use Efficiency and Ecology

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July 16, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading Following the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, India was granted exclusive usage of the three “eastern tributaries” of the Indus River, namely the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi Rivers. In India, these rivers flow through the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh with a mean annual flow of 33 million acre-feet (MAF). Whereas, waters of the three “western rivers”- the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum- with a mean annual flow of 80 MAF was allotted to Pakistan. It can be argued that during the negotiation process the question of food security led to this skewed arrangement. At the time of partition, the plain region of the basin situated mostly in Punjab had extensive canal system built by the British which were dependent on the eastern tributaries. After partition most of the existing canal network became a part of Pakistan’s Punjab region. “To ensure irrigation development in Indian part of Punjab, the Indian government started investing in the development of canal network and live storage. This effectively meant taking away water from the downstream canals of Pakistan. Arguing prior appropriation rights, Pakistan protested against Indian canal plans. Then, during the World Bank mediated negotiations for Indus waters treaty, India put forth a proposal to give away the riparian rights to western rivers in exchange for exclusive rights on eastern rivers. ” Eastern rivers have mainly contributed to the development of irrigation in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Punjab has been playing a vital role in the food security of India. Punjab constitutes 1.5 per cent of geographical area occupying 5.03 mha. Punjab’s agro climatic zone falls under the trans-Gangetic Plains which is rich in water and soil resources and has comparatively high land productivity level. The annual rainfall in the plains of Punjab varies between 330 – 1190 mm. The region has both rice and wheat-based cropping system with poultry farming. Buffalo and cattle are reared as primary means of livelihood. Punjab delivers 65% of the wheat and 42% of the rice to the central pool. Cropping intensity has increased from 133 percent in 1971 to 186 percent in 2005, thanks to the expansion of irrigation facilities and the increased speed with which agriculturally based tasks are completed. The net irrigated area of Punjab accounts for 95% of the total cropped area. Canal irrigation systems in Punjab comprise of Sirhind Canal system, Bist Doab Canal system, Bhakra Main Line (BML) Canal System, Upper Bari Doab Canal system, Kashmir Canal, Ferozepur Feeder/Sirhind Feeder system, Eastern Canal system, Makhu Canal System, Shahnehar Canal system and the Kandi Canal system. The Rajasthan Feeder and Bikaner Canal which carry Ravi-Beas & Sutlej water exclusively for Rajasthan also run in a considerable length over Punjab Territory. Dams such as Bakhra Nangal, Pong and Ranjit Sagar provide the required water to the canals. India has constructed live storage works of about 13.6 MAF to harness the waters of the Eastern Rivers fully – Bhakra (5.83 MAF), Pandoh (0.015 MAF), Pong (5.91 MAF), Ranjit Sagar (1.9 MAF) [6] Punjab can be divided into three water zones namely Shiwalik/North –East zone having 19 percent of State’s geographical area, Central zone with 47 percent and South- Western zone with 34 percent. The Shiwalik zone is vulnerable to soil erosion, flash floods, and a high-water table, among other things. The Central Zone is experiencing major ground water depletion (declining at the rate of 0.5 m per year) and pollution, while the South-Western Zone is experiencing poor ground water quality due to salinity and alkalinity, as well as tail end canal water insufficiency. “While groundwater is declining alarmingly in fresh water regions, it has risen steadily in saline groundwater regions in Muktsar, Bhatinda and Faridkot districts. The region irrigated with Sirihind canal (150 years old) is experiencing extreme instances of water logging and soil salinity problems. ” It is unable to take its full discharge and it requires major rehabilitation and rejuvenation works (R&R). The net area irrigated by canals has fallen from 55 percent in 1960-61 to 28 percent in 2006-07. This is due to the system’s lower carrying capacity and decreased availability of surface water. Punjab has been allocated 14.54 MAF out of a total average availability of 34.34 MAF. Its available ground water resources are estimated at about 17.37 MAF. Therefore, the total available water resources are 31.91 MAF against an estimated demand of 50 MAF, showing a deficit of 38 percent for a major riparian State. Only 28 percent of the total area is irrigated by surface water or canals and rest 72 percent area is irrigated by tube-wells and wells. The number of tube wells has increased from 0.19 million in 1971 to 1.17 million in 2005. Widespread rural electrification coupled with a flat-fee electricity subsidy that has led to a dramatic increase in the number of tube-wells, groundwater-based irrigation now far surpasses surface water use. Out of 138 blocks of the state, 103 blocks are “over exploited”, 5 blocks are “critical”, 4 blocks are “semi-critical”. “At 145% stage of development, Punjab’s groundwater scenario is bleak. Continuous Growth in population, sowing of water intensive and high yielding cash crops and also expansion

ESG and Climate Risk Science and Technology

India’s plans to accelerate its infrastructure development in Brahmaputra basin

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July 16, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading Brahmaputra basin part in India spreads over states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland and the whole of Sikkim. Brahmaputra basin (in India) is bounded by the Himalayas on the north, by the Patkai range of hills on the east running along the India-Myanmar border, by the Assam range of hills on the south and by the Himalayas and the ridge separating it from Ganga basin on the west. The distribution of the drainage area of Brahmaputra River in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Sikkim are 81,424Sq.km, 70,634Sq.km,12,585Sq.km, 11,667 Sq.km, 10,803 Sq.km and 7,300Sq.km respectively. Of all the hydropower in India, total of 31012 MW potential at 60% load factor is in the Brahmaputra region. In this case, Arunachal Pradesh alone has 67.5% (44 593 MW) of hydropower in the Brahmaputra valley. According to state data, the largest hydropower available in Arunachal Pradesh is about 30% (44,593 MW) of total hydropower in the country followed by Himachal Pradesh 13.6% (19411 MW). “In the per independence period, many steps have been taken to generate hydropower in major rivers. (Rahaman 2019). After the 70s, due to the shortage of energy and the urgent need for modern industries and agriculture, the Indian Government promoted thermal energy sectors. This has led to a decrease in hydropower generation.” The share of hydropower in our country has continued to decline since 1963. The water supply dropped from 50% in 1963 to about 25% in 2010. (Rahaman 2019). However, progress is far from satisfactory. Status of Hydro Electric Power Potential Development – Brahmaputra Identified capacity as per assessment study Capacity Under Operation Capacity under construction Capacity under-operation + under-construction Capacity yet to be taken up under Construction 66065 2120 5736 7856 57544 Hydropower has made a significant come back in India, after the World Commission on Dams (WCD) and environmentalists had almost convinced governments to stop dams or more specifically in terms of engineering and infrastructure approaches to river management. There is 4413 square km of drainage area in India or almost 5.9% of the country’s total geographical area. The Brahmaputra has an average width of 5.46 km, and its maximum discharge at Pandu near Guwahati was 72,779 cumec and its minimum discharge was 1757 cumec. The average annual discharge is about 20,000 cumec, and the average dry season discharge is 4,420 cumec. Although recently, the Government of India (Department of Energy) has identified about 226 high-density areas in rivers in north-eastern India, most of which are located in the Brahmaputra region. Salient features of the basin State wise Basin area The Brahmaputra basin is divided into 5 catchments and their numbers are assigned from 501 to 505by IMD. Catchment 326 is other than Brahmaputra basin in the Northeast region. Catchments of the Brahmaputra Basin, CWC The catchment area of Brahmaputra River in India, receives a number of tributaries at its north and south banks. Crop fields, extensive forest cover, tea plantations, grazing land and water-logged swampy areas with a huge network of tributaries are commonly observed components of the land use/cover of the Brahmaputra basin. The major part of basin is covered with forest accounting to 55.48% of the total area. The most predominant soil type found in the basin is the red loamy soil and alluvial soil. Other important soil types are sandy, loamy, clayey soils, their combinations and laterite soils. The entire Brahmaputra basin falls in the Eastern Himalayan agro-climatic zone(Planning commission, 1989). Brahmaputra basin falls in 3 agro-ecological zones. Most of the upper Brahmaputra sub basin area falls in the ‘Warm per humid eco-region with brown and red hill soils. The Brahmaputra Valley area is dominating by ‘Hot subhumid (moist) to humid (inclusion of per humid) eco-regions with alluvial-derived soils. The lowermost part of the basin is falling in the ‘Warm per humid eco-region with red and lateritic soils’ As per international reports (ORF 2020) over the next 50 years (from 2020-21), approximately 99,256 MW of hydropower is expected to be generated in rivers in north-eastern India. India’s North-eastern states, with their mountainous topography and perennial streams, have the largest hydropower potential in all of India. Together, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura account for almost 40 percent[1] of the total hydropower potential of the country. Since the 1990s, the Government of India (GoI) has shown interest in exploring this potential as an energy source that is cleaner and more sustainable than traditional ones. Following the Northeast Business Summit in Mumbai in July 2002, the Northeast has frequently been called the “Future Powerhouse” of India. Additionally, a secure supply of water is crucial to state stability and safety in many countries around the world. The direct and indirect effects of water stress, such as migration, food shortages, and general destabilization, transcend national boundaries. As water stress continues to increase in the coming years, it will become even more important to prioritize water resources in policy formulations at home and abroad and Dams can be a key to it. Other than that Hydropower has immense benefits, these are as follows: Hydropower is sustainable source of energy. India spends a

ESG and Climate Risk Geopolitics and IR Maritime Security

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Framework

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June 22, 2022
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Key Highlights Even though there are many internal and external criticisms, IWT has managed to survive several wars and military standoffs between India and Pakistan. By hindering economic growth, the IWT has increased the domestic dispute over Kashmir. Kashmiris have grievances against the pact since it forbids India from using the western rivers for cultivation, hydroelectric generation, or navigation. The scientific community in India emphasizes the need for additional research and evaluations as a basis for debates on transboundary water management in the country. The treaty offers outdated technical guidance that is unable to address the ongoing technological disputes with Indus. The IWT is a permanent agreement that has no expiration date, in contrast to treaties like the 1964 Columbia River Treaty between the US and Canada, which allows either of its signatories to choose to renegotiate it after 50 years. Heading The 21st century is witnessing unprecedented strategic interactions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), with flurry of political, economic and military activities, both by nations within and the extra-regional powers. The entire global power play is being seen to be unfolding in the tropical littoral waters of the IOR. The global oil reserves from the Persian Gulf pass through the IOR to feed the energy needs of the economic engines in the South East Asia. The finished goods from these industrial hubs traverse the return journey back through the IOR to markets of the west. It is the third largest ocean woven together by trade routes, commands control of major sea-lanes carrying half of the world’s container ships, one-third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of the world’s oil shipments. The global community has discovered the huge potential of undersea resources in the IOR and more and more efforts are being implemented to explore & exploit these precious resources. The economic potential is also accompanied by political volatility and the non-state actors have become a major security threat for the entire region and beyond. The region is highly susceptible to natural disasters originating from the seas and is at the forefront of food and water security concerns. The region is also likely to experience dramatic consequences of climate change, including sea level rise and warming ocean temperatures. The plethora of challenges and the regionalism ensured that the IOR remained underdeveloped, inspite of having favourable demography and also high availability of natural resources along with geographical advantage of being central to all geostrategic and geopolitical interactions. The Indian Ocean Rim constitutes between a quarter and a third of world population that makes it a massive global market. Home to nearly 2.7 billion people, nation states whose shores are washed by the ocean are rich in cultural diversity and richness in languages, religions, traditions, arts and cuisines. The tropical water ensures very high biodiversity with huge economic potential across multiple sectors. The growing population has substantial socio-economic implications given the divide between the skilled & unskilled labour force. The sub-optimal capacity & capability building infrastructure can spiral into a socio-political crisis, given the aspirational young millennial population. “Geopolitical & geostrategic convergence has been a massive challenge due to difference in national priorities and wide asymmetries in the capacities and governance mechanisms. ” The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was formally launched at the first Ministerial Meeting in Mauritius on 6-7 March 1997. It is a dynamic inter-governmental organization aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 23 Member states and 10 Dialogue partners. The IORA facilitates and promotes economic co-operation, bringing together inter-alia representatives of Member States’ governments, businesses and academia. In a spirit of multilateralism, the Association seeks to build and expand understanding and mutually beneficial co-operation through a consensus-based, evolutionary and non-intrusive approach. The IORA nations and their leadership need to be extremely creative to appreciate the potential in the region and formulate their strategy to harness the opportunities. The safe, secure, sustainable growth model has to be given the top priority. The following are the broad opportunities: Living Resources: The tropical waters need no emphasis on the biodiversity and the potential in terms of the living resources. The fisheries to aquaculture to seaweeds and more have unimaginable potential for commercial use. The communities have been engaged in traditional practices and not been able to scale up in keeping with the new age requirements. The west driven corporate entities have been engaged in mechanized trawling and large-scale farms to exploit the undersea resources. The weak regulatory mechanism and the absence of local site-specific R&D has created an imbalance in the socio-economic structure and the local communities have been left out of the growth cycle. The ecological sustainability has become a major concern and causing significant unrest among the local communities. The overdependence of the local communities on the local climatic condition and the climate change manifestations are creating a deadly mix of unsustainable livelihood opportunities. The aspirational next generation is finding it difficult to carry forward the legacy and the financial institutions are not willing to support the local communities in their traditional practices due to significant uncertainty. The socio-political unrest is a good recipe for security concerns and rise of the non-state actors. Transportation: The massive body of water connecting the nations on the rim is a substantial opportunity for efficient logistics and trade. Water borne transportation is known to be cheapest in terms of cost and also carbon footprint. However, the poor maritime infrastructure has been a cause of concern and basis for poor connectivity. The region was known to be a global leader in the past, however the last two centuries have seen a remarkable decline in the regional connectivity. The Industrial Revolution remained a missed opportunity for the region and maritime capacity & capability building remained a work in progress. The tropical littoral waters have unique siltation challenges and port management has to ensure site specific sediment management practices. The west driven models for maritime capacity & capability building will remain sub-optimal and

Science and Technology

Impact of Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) on Marine Eco-system

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June 19, 2022
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Heading There have been significant efforts taken so far by the maritime industry to reduce the levels of noise and vibration emissions by various types of ships. The issue was initially addressed so as to prevent structural fatigue damage to the onboard machinery and heavy-duty equipment. For the last three decades, the comfort of passengers as well as the health of the crews has been increasingly considered by all the stakeholders such as ship owners, shipyards and regulatory classification societies. However, with the technological advancements and research, there is no doubt that the increase of underwater noise related to anthropogenic activity at sea induces grave risk on marine life. The adverse effects of the use of powerful sound sources such as low frequency active sonar, air guns which are used by oil industry, pile driving for installation of offshore platform etc. are visible for all to see and have been reported. The hazards created because of underwater noise generated by commercial shipping are presently becoming more acute because of the steady increase of ship traffic and vessel size. Despite the fact that noise levels generated by shipping as compared to other sources such as active sonar, the radiated noise occurs continuously and it has been established that it tends to impacts large maritime areas. The harassment effect on the aquatic life can cause large disturbance on the biologic functions of some marine species, and in the long term, lead to habitat loss and negative consequences on biodiversity. Excessive levels of underwater noise can be especially dangerous for sea creatures like whales and dolphins, hindering their ability to communicate, hunt, migrate and echolocate. URN and its significance: The underwater acoustic output generated by commercial ships contributes significantly to ambient noise in the ocean. Underwater noise from commercial ships is generated during normal operation, most notably from propeller cavitation which is known to peak at 50–150 Hz but can extend up to 10,000 Hz. The major harmful impact for all marine mammals is due to the reduced available dissolved oxygen and thereby creates a plethora of impactful problems. The Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) Management on-board marine platforms is an interesting research area with varied stakeholder interests. The first is the ship design and manufacturing for efficient operational & maintenance related aspects. The second is the acoustic stealth related naval application for enhanced deployment efficiency to avoid detection by enemy sonars and also acoustic mine avoidance. The third is the growing marine conservation related application pertaining to Acoustic Habitat Degradation. These are multi-dimensional requirements related to safety of the ship, sustainability of the shipping operations and also growth related to the shipping sector. Effect of URN on Marine Eco-system: A sound becomes audible when the receiver is able to perceive it over a background noise. The audible range of hearing for marine fauna spans from as low as 5 Hz up to about 200 kHz. Marine mammals use hearing as their primary sense of perception and are highly dependent upon noise / sound for their navigation and communication. Various other fundamental activities such as finding food, reproduction and hazard detection are also based on sound perception and hence are likely to be sensitive to the increase in environmental noise. “A detrimental, low-frequency ambient noise radiated by maritime sub-systems generated because of the different machinery operating onboard marine vessels which is transmitted to the peaceful aquatic eco-system is called Underwater Radiated Noise (URN). ” “Acoustic masking occurs when the presence of one sound (unwanted noise) reduces the ability of an animal to perceive a second sound (of interest)” Acoustic masking is considered to be a threat to marine fauna, especially those species that communicate on low frequencies, such as baleen whales. Therefore, an excessive high level of ambient noise in the low frequency range can have a negative impact on their population. The predominant noise levels associated with large vessels are in the frequency range of 5–1000 Hz. Noise levels at higher frequency (above 1000 Hz) will normally decrease with increasing frequency. Therefore, the predominant noise in the low-frequency band will affect the ambient noise over a large ocean area. Moreover, this low-frequency band happens to overlap with the frequency band in the audible range used by some marine mammals. Concerns about the potential impact of ocean noise on marine fauna prompted the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to release a non-mandatory guideline for the reduction of underwater radiated noise (URN) from commercial shipping in 2014. Frequency relationships between marine animal sounds and sounds from shipping Sources of URN: There are two main groups of underwater noise sources. The first is propellers, jets and other underwater propulsion systems. Propellers constitute a major source of underwater noise because of the rotating blades operating in non-uniform flow. The propeller induced URN can occur in two ways. First is the direct radiation of noise from propeller blades due to their vibration. Second is due to the transfer of forces which create imbalanced moments from these blades to hull, which causes the vibration of the hull and ultimately causes radiation of noise. The second is the machinery vibration caused by propulsion and auxiliary machinery. Machines which have rotating or reciprocating parts generate noise at the fundamental (natural) frequency and their multiples (harmonics). There are numerous principle and auxiliary machineries located at multiple decks inside the ship. The mechanical vibration from these machineries is radiated from the hull through their mounts and the decks in a very complex configuration. The classes of machinery can be divided into two types based on their functions: propulsion machinery and auxiliary machinery. The first contributor is the main propulsion system. Because diesel engine speed varies according to propulsion demand, the noise is generated at frequencies that depend on ship speed. Propulsion turbines, turbine generators, and reduction gears are the dominant sources of propulsion system noise on steam turbine equipped ship. Noise components from rotating auxiliary machinery and other shipboard equipment contribute to the ship overall noise signature, but usually at lower levels than propulsion systems. AQUO Project: Considering the impact of URN on marine eco-system, it is imperative that solutions must be found to mitigate these harmful effects of the low-frequency noise. To address this issue, the