An IMO/International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) joint regional training course on Hydrography and Hydrographic Governance has been held in Constanta, Romania (3 to 14 November). The regional training course was hosted by the Maritime Hydrographic Directorate in Constanta, Romania, with participants from: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Montenegro, Romania, and Ukraine. Funding was generously provided by the Republic of Korea.

The course in basic hydrography and hydrographic governance introduces the benefits of hydrography to coastal States, including national economic development and environmental management and describes the need for national coordination of hydrographic functions and the roles of national hydrographic organizations within the framework of the global international hydrographic and maritime organizations. The course also develops a general understanding of cartographic practices used to represent hydrographic and safety of navigation information to users and develops skills in depicting information on nautical charts. (Pic: UKHO)