Waste Management and Pollution Control
Waste and pollution management in the Pacific region was in the spotlight at this year's Pacific Environment Forum in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands.
The Forum, an initiative of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), is an annual event held immediately prior to the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. The purpose of the Forum is to provide an informal setting in which to facilitate discussion amongst officials and other stakeholders on key environmental issues in the region.
At today's meeting, around 50 participants gathered to hear presentations on current waste and pollution management initiatives and to identify priority areas for future targeted waste and pollution management intervention, as well as national and regional recycling priorities for the next five years.
In his opening address, Director General of SPREP Mr David Sheppard spoke about the importance of waste and pollution management to sustainable development in the Pacific region:
"Poor management of waste and pollution has negative impacts on the region's environment, public health and water resources as well as on fisheries, agriculture, tourism, trade and the quality of life in general. As a consequence, improved waste and pollution management is an urgent priority for SPREP and for its Pacific island members."
Topics of today's discussion included the regional status of asbestos, E-waste, healthcare waste and mercury management in the region. Dr David Haynes, SPREP's Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control explains that recent baseline surveys conducted on these issues have been crucial to establishing appropriate and meaningful solutions to the proper management of these potentially harmful waste products:
"National hazardous waste management interventions for asbestos and healthcare waste are being rigorously prioritised through a comprehensive regional assessment process under the European Union-funded PacWaste Project. This enables interventions to improve the management of asbestos and healthcare waste at the national level to be determined on an equitable and priority needs basis across all participating Pacific island countries" said Dr Haynes.
National case studies were presented at the Forum from Fiji (landfill proofing against the impacts of climate change in Labasa), Kiribati (E-waste management), Marshall Islands (integrated atoll waste management), Samoa (marine plastic and waste management activities conducted as part of the United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States) and Tonga (recycling education programmes).
Hazardous waste management discussions included discussion of the importance of protecting the environment from World War II wrecks which were beginning to leak bunker oil, and improving management of used oil - two issues which pose grave threats to both environmental and human health in the Pacific region.
Outcomes from today's discussions will be tabled at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme which commences in Majuro tomorrow and will run through until October 3.
For more information on the outcome of today's Pacific Environment Forum, please contact Dr David Haynes on [email protected]
The Forum, an initiative of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), is an annual event held immediately prior to the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. The purpose of the Forum is to provide an informal setting in which to facilitate discussion amongst officials and other stakeholders on key environmental issues in the region.
At today's meeting, around 50 participants gathered to hear presentations on current waste and pollution management initiatives and to identify priority areas for future targeted waste and pollution management intervention, as well as national and regional recycling priorities for the next five years.
In his opening address, Director General of SPREP Mr David Sheppard spoke about the importance of waste and pollution management to sustainable development in the Pacific region:
"Poor management of waste and pollution has negative impacts on the region's environment, public health and water resources as well as on fisheries, agriculture, tourism, trade and the quality of life in general. As a consequence, improved waste and pollution management is an urgent priority for SPREP and for its Pacific island members."
Topics of today's discussion included the regional status of asbestos, E-waste, healthcare waste and mercury management in the region. Dr David Haynes, SPREP's Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control explains that recent baseline surveys conducted on these issues have been crucial to establishing appropriate and meaningful solutions to the proper management of these potentially harmful waste products:
"National hazardous waste management interventions for asbestos and healthcare waste are being rigorously prioritised through a comprehensive regional assessment process under the European Union-funded PacWaste Project. This enables interventions to improve the management of asbestos and healthcare waste at the national level to be determined on an equitable and priority needs basis across all participating Pacific island countries" said Dr Haynes.
National case studies were presented at the Forum from Fiji (landfill proofing against the impacts of climate change in Labasa), Kiribati (E-waste management), Marshall Islands (integrated atoll waste management), Samoa (marine plastic and waste management activities conducted as part of the United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States) and Tonga (recycling education programmes).
Hazardous waste management discussions included discussion of the importance of protecting the environment from World War II wrecks which were beginning to leak bunker oil, and improving management of used oil - two issues which pose grave threats to both environmental and human health in the Pacific region.
Outcomes from today's discussions will be tabled at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme which commences in Majuro tomorrow and will run through until October 3.
For more information on the outcome of today's Pacific Environment Forum, please contact Dr David Haynes on [email protected]