A. Wodageneh, Project Coordinator
Six decades have gone by since the discovery,
development and introduction of chemical pesticides in the late 1930s
led to the notion that pest problems were over. Since then a variety
of chemicals have been developed and introduced while the
intensification of agricultural production systems has caused rapidly
increasing use of pesticides.
The negative side-effects of increased pesticide
use include: a steady accumulation of stockpiles of obsolete
pesticides; severe contamination of the environment; an increasing
number of poisoning cases; the rapid development of resistant pest
strains; and, for several crops, even a destabilization of production
as a result of pesticide-induced pests.
In Africa and the Near East, obsolete pesticides
have become a source of great environmental concern. The variety,
quantities and distribution of pesticides vary from region to region
and from country to country, but the overall environmental impact is
always negative and hazardous. As well as the obsolete pesticides
themselves, there are huge quantities of heavily contaminated soil,
empty containers and other contaminated materials.
Common reasons for accumulation of obsolete stocks
include:
Some stocks are over 20 years old and are kept
in poor conditions with few or no safety precautions. Some are left
in the open and lack shade and security. Containers are often badly
corroded or otherwise deteriorated. Generally, employees or handlers
are not given adequate protective equipment and are therefore unable
to handle emergencies. Often they are not aware of the occupational
and environmental impact of leakage. Contamination of soils or
groundwater may have severe and irreversible effects on human health
and render production systems unusable. Such contamination may spread
widely through groundwater and other water bodies.
In view of the grave and threatening situation, a
quick response is required to contain and dispose of obsolete
pesticides. Such actions need to be taken in a manner that is safe to
human health and the environment. At present the recommended disposal
method is through high-temperature incineration in a rotary kiln, but
most developing countries do not have such facilities. Incinerators
are often too costly and cannot be justified for the relatively small
quantities of waste generated by developing countries. In many cases
the solution will therefore be shipment of waste to a dedicated
hazardous waste incinerator in an industrialized country.
The safe containment and environmentally sound
disposal of obsolete pesticides are generally beyond the financial
and technical means of developing countries. In recognition of these
limitations, a growing number of countries are requesting assistance
from FAO in addressing the problem of obsolete pesticide stocks.
Data from other regions indicate that the problem
of obsolete pesticides is not limited to a specific geographical
region; the problem also exists in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin
America.
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Issues involved The costs of environmentally sound
disposal operations are in most cases beyond the financial
capacities of developing countries. Therefore, assistance is
required, both technically and financially. |
Ecological and environmental awareness needs to be fostered at international level. Following the UN Rio Summit of 1992, this issue is gaining international, regional and national attention and importance and many countries are becoming increasingly aware of environmental problems. Several donor agencies have expressed interest in the problems of obsolete pesticides and welcomed a FAO proposal of developing a plan of action for the prevention and disposal of obsolete pesticide stocks. Among the countries that expressed interest the Government of the Netherlands was the first to respond to FAO's call for financial support for the project. This resulted in a two-year Phase I project under the title "Prevention and Disposal of Unwanted Pesticide Stocks in Africa and the Near East". The project became oper-ational in July 1994. Although requests for assistance are coming in from countries outside these regions, activities are restricted to the project area.
Phase I of the project is designed to complete the groundwork for coordination and to enhance the involvement of interested donor countries and affected countries through bilateral and multilateral assistance. Its objectives are:
preparation of inventories of obsolete stocks;
identification of environmentally sound disposal methods;
development and introduction of strategies for the prevention of further accumulation of obsolete stocks;
implementation of two or three pilot disposal operations;
development and introduction of a coordinated multidonor plan of action for containment and disposal of obsolete pesticide stocks in Africa and the Near East.
Inventories of obsolete pesticide stocks are being made in Africa and the Near East. They include an assessment of the condition of the stocks and indicate the magnitude of the problem as well as offering a basis for the prioritization and planning of containment and disposal operations.
Various disposal methods were assessed by a panel of experts meeting, organized jointly by FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (UNEP/IRPTC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in October 1994. The results of the meeting will be published as Technical guidelines on the disposal of obsolete pesticides and are expected to be available before the end of 1995.
The causes of accumulation of obsolete stocks
have been studied and form the basis of two documents aimed at
assisting countries to prevent further such accumulation. The
documents are: Guidelines on prevention of accumulation of obsolete
pesticide stocks and a Training module on pesticide storage and stock
planning.
In two or three pilot countries, specific
activities may be undertaken to increase the prevention of
accumulation of obsolete pesticide stocks. Such activities may
include: training in storage management and assessment of pesticide
requirements; analysis of causes of accumulation in the country
concerned, with advice on preventing such accumulation in the future;
and advice on how to improve storage facilities.
Pilot operations for the containment and
disposal of obsolete pesticide stocks will begin in 1995 for two or
three selected countries. So far, Yemen and Zambia have been
selected. The purpose of the pilot operations is to generate
experience in complicated procedures and techniques. The experience
gained will then be made available to interested parties as Lessons
Learnt Documents.
Disposal operations will be subcontracted to
specialized companies and will comply with the Basel Convention on
the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code and
European Emission standards.
The need for a consultative meeting. The
far-reaching magnitude of the problem is obvious and its urgency is
beyond doubt. The issue is important and cannot be overlooked or
considered either lightly or in isolation because, if unattended, the
long-term effects will have wider implications and incalculable
adverse effects on human health and the environment. Every delay in
addressing the problem will increase the costs of solving it and a
concerted international response and commitment should be
mobilized.
The Consultative Meeting was convened in order to
promote a coordinated multidonor approach.