May 13, 2026
IMO strengthens global efforts to reduce underwater noise from shipping
Shipping is one of the main sources of underwater radiated noise (URN), which can affect marine biodiversity and disrupt the marine environment.
To help Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) better understand and address this challenge, the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloNoise Partnership has completed a series of national workshops ranging from March to April 2026 across all six Lead Pilot Countries Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, India, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago with additional participation from Georgia, Madagascar and Mexico.
Delivered primarily in person, the workshops brought together nearly 200 participants from government agencies, academia, research institutions and the shipping industry. Through practical exercises and group discussions, participants explored how to assess underwater noise, identify potential hotspots and consider mitigation measures within their national contexts.
Central to the workshops was the new URN Toolkit, developed by the GloNoise Partnership to support countries in building technical knowledge and capacity on underwater noise from shipping.
Building on the momentum of the national workshops, the GloNoise Partnership will host a global webinar on the URN Toolkit, open to all IMO Member States.
Source: IMO