44 Kosmos has partnered with Conservation International and Anton de Kom University of Suriname to mitigate the coastal erosion at Weg naar Zee by building Sediment Trapping Units (STUs). These structures promote sediment deposition and create conditions for halting and reversing erosion. Mangrove juveniles will be able to grow in the newly formed mud banks, both naturally and planted by local researchers. The next step in this project is to quantify and document the effectiveness of the STUs and potentially extend the STU project to other coastal areas of Suriname experiencing similar problems with erosion. Enhancing oil spill response capabilities The government of Suriname approved a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan in May 2016. Subsequent to this approval, Kosmos has taken steps to build local capacity in emergency preparedness through various workshops and training exercises. In July 2016, we organized and led an interactive workshop for government ministries, NGOs, and other stakeholders on the role and use of dispersants during oil spill response. Kosmos personnel provided an overview of its corporate plans, emergency response organization, materials and equipment stockpiles for containing and eliminating surface spills and subsea discharge of hydrocarbons to the environment which could result from drilling operations. Global subject matter experts presented information on the role of dispersants, the subsea dispersant approval process, dispersant use, and monitoring plans. Kosmos also shared a desktop geographic information system (or GIS) study we conducted to identify and map environmentally sensitive areas along the shores of Suriname and Guyana. We designed a web based geoportal that could be used to access data in the unlikely event of an oil spill. The workshop concluded with an interactive exercise that tested the notification processes identified in the Suriname Oil Spill Contingency Plan. Building capacity in medical care The Academic Hospital Paramaribo is the largest hospital in Suriname and serves as a major medical research hub for the country. Since the government of Suriname has prioritized developing the hospital, Kosmos has committed to supporting the hospital over at least three years. Throughout 2016, Kosmos worked with hospital personnel to identify needs and create a plan for how Kosmos and other oil and gas operators in Suriname can work together to build the hospital’s research and patient care capabilities. Kosmos will support the provision of surgical tools, process improvement studies, and skills training for the hospital. Kosmos supported a project with Conservation International to build Sediment Trapping Units to reverse erosion in a coastal area of Suriname. “In the endeavor to protect and save the vulnerable coastal area near our capital Paramaribo, Conservation International Suriname and the Anton de Kom University are jointly applying nature based solutions that could combat coastal degradation in a sustainable way. By building wooden, permeable dams along the coastline, we try to trap as much sediment as possible in order to create ideal living conditions for mangroves to grow back. With the much needed measurement equipment that we obtained with Kosmos’ support, we can keep better track of our interventions. I believe that the deployment of these instruments is helping to form new ideas on mangrove rehabilitation in Suriname.” PROFESSOR DR. SIEUWNATH NAIPAL Chair of Climate Change and Water at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname