POPs in CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES
Abbreviated project report (July 1–December 31, 2002)
UZBEKISTAN
1. Informational campaign for NGOs and the media
- Developed and distributed 100 copies of informational bulletins on issues
related to persistent organic pollutants;
- Informational packages were sent out to government and media agencies, NGOs,
international organizations (UNDP, Medicines san Frontiers, Unicef etc.) and
universities;
- Information on POPs-related issues in Uzbekistan was distributed among
participants of international conferences and seminars on ecological and health
care issues; via e-mail broadcasts and informational networks (for example,
Counterpart Consortium).
2. Exhibition of anti-POPs posters developed by children
3. Seminar on persistent organic pollutants
On November 8, 2002 a seminar entitled “Stockholm Convention on persistent
organic pollutants – possible implications for Uzbekistan” was organized in
Tashkent.
The seminar was organized in cooperation with Uzbekistan’s State Environmental
Protection Committee, Uzbekistan’s UNDP environmental program and the Center
“Gender: innovations and development”.
Key objectives of the seminar included:
- informing representatives of all interested parties about goals, objectives
and provisions of the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
as well as about the current situation in Uzbekistan with respect to issues
covered by the Convention;
- generate public attention and attention of key decision-makers to POPs-related
issues in Uzbekistan as well as to liabilities and benefits which Uzbekistan can
gain if it joins Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants.
Representatives of various Ministries and agencies, Embassies, international
organizations and media agencies took part in the event.
At the seminar a number of reports were presented covering current situation
with POPs in Uzbekistan, results of research on POPs impacting the Republic of
Karakalpakistan, scientific and educational aspects of POPs-related issues etc.
Seminar participants adopted a closing declaration. The document expresses
concerns about continued POPs impacts on public health.
In the declaration participants of the seminar stressed that Uzbekistan’s
national legislation provided for complete bans on application of all 12 POPs
listed in the Stockholm Convention. However, issues related to persistent
organic pollutants and related impacts on public health play a major role
because of widespread uncontrolled application of POPs within last several
decades (mainly, as agricultural pesticides). It is obvious that the need to
join Stockholm Convention represents a key issues because by joining the
Convention Uzbekistan will be able to attract investments for technological
modernization, conservation of existing POPs stockpiles, development of polluted
territories, recycling of POPs-containing wastes.
The resolution states “By joining the Stockholm Convention Uzbekistan will gain
major additional benefits including reduction of public health risks and damage
to ecosystems; resolution of ecological and social issues; as well as
opportunities to receive additional financing for POPs stockpiles assessment and
identification of ways to destroy existing stockpiles; stricter controls over
illegal application of persistent organic pollutants outlawed in Uzbekistan;
liquidation of existing POPs using most up-to-date technologies”.
Participants of the seminar called upon government representatives and other
organizations involved in decision-making regarding persistent organic
pollutants and other toxic substances influencing the environment and public
health to support Uzbekistan’s accession to the Stockholm Convention.
Mr. Tito Syzdykov, Chairman of the Parliament’s Mazhilis (lower chamber) Ecology
and Nature Use Committee believes that “Kazakhstan needs a wastes recycling law”.
Kazakhstan’s industry is geared towards mineral resources extraction and
processing raising great concerns about accumulation of solid industrial wastes
: currently there are more than 19 billion tones of solid industrial wastes
scattered across the Republic.
Kazakhstan has accumulated more than 13 million tones of solid household wastes.
Currently these wastes are not recycled and serve as a major cause of
unfavorable sanitary-epidemiological situation particularly in large cities.
There is an urgent need to design effective measures aimed at liquidation of
solid household wastes.
Kazakhstan needs a governmental program and effective legal framework as well as
tighter controls implemented by environmental protection and sanitary services.
Industrial enterprises need economic reasons to recycle and prevent accumulation
of wastes. Considering urgency of these issues development of the draft law “On
industrial and consumption wastes” was included into Kazakhstani Government’s
plan for legislative work. However, this draft law was removed from 2002-2003
legislative work plan because of unknown reasons.
In 2003 Parliament’s Mazhilis Ecology and Nature Use Committee provided for
parliamentary hearings on wastes recycling issues and believes that stricter
requirements have to be applied to non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises with
respect to toxic wastes. It is important to design a legislative framework
ensuring:
- comprehensive use of mineral resources at extraction, processing and recycling
stages;
- increased liability of enterprises for heat pollution resulting from burning
associated gases;
- legal solutions for issues related to conservation of nuclear wastes.
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