All country operations projects within the framework of the ASP-P1 project are operational. The flexibility of the Netherlands funding has allowed the Technical Support Unit (TSU) to provide the needed services to parallel projects in Eritrea and Mozambique that are supported by the Netherlands and Japan.
In the case of Eritrea, the Netherlands/Japan funded project which was launched in September 2006 was concluded on schedule in February 2008. The modalities for securing funding for a second phase of the Eritrea to conduct disposal and enhance prevention activities is still being explored. Funding from the Netherlands project budget are being used to launch an IPM programme on Citrus capitalizing on the momentum achieved on the success of the pesticide inventory and in keeping with the national pesticide management action plan developed for Eritrea. In Mozambique, a third phase project is still needed to conduct disposal operations of centralised stocks of obsolete pesticides and strengthen prevention activities. Funding sources are being explored.
Mali and Tunisia are at the stage for developing tenders for disposal of the stocks of pesticides that have been already identified. Training on preparation of disposal tender specifications was held in February 2008 for representatives from both country projects.
Collaboration with the Locust Management Group at FAO on a range of aspects of pesticide management including stock control, container management and environmental remediation is ongoing. Recently work expanded to Sudan where the ASP approach to pesticide management will be implemented. The Pesticide Stock Management System (PSMS) has been piloted. Morocco will begin using the PSMS and other ASP countries will adopt the new software by end 2008. A Dutch NGO is also trained in the use of PSMS and will deploy it in selected eastern European countries in 2008.
Now that country projects have become active, the focus of the TSU will be to support country project implementation as envisioned by the ASP and Netherlands Contribution to the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP) in support of Phase 1 countries.
Prevention action plans need to be developed in a series of ASP-P1 countries during 2008 (Ethiopia Mali, Morocco, South Africa and Tanzania). At the same time the plan to prepare a set of Phase 2 countries has had to be placed on hold until the ASP-P1 countries were fully operational. It is therefore planned to complete a series of country preparation and "scoping" missions by the end of 2008. Both of these activities are major components of the Netherlands project in support of the ASP.
The FAO Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticide Programme manages several projects in the region. One notable project is the multi-stakeholder project the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP) that involves seven countries in its first phase.
Scoping missions in Africa for Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP). A total of 15 missions are planned for 2008. The scoping missions' purpose is to assess the current situation with respect to obsolete pesticides and assess country readiness for inclusion in the ASP programme. Missions to Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Sudan, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Kenya and Malawi have been undertaken. The results of these missions will be used as a basis for discussion at the ASP Face to Face meeting on the funding requirements and establishing a future Phase II programme of the ASP.
Refer to the menu on the left for summaries of current activities of the FAO programme in each country. For more information kindly contact OPGROUP.
