AG:TCP/ZAM/4556 TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO THE DISPOSAL OF OBSOLETE PESTICIDES ZAMBIA Terminal Statement the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 1998 |
AG:TCP/ZAM/4556 TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO THE DISPOSAL OF OBSOLETE PESTICIDES ZAMBIA Terminal Statement the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 1998 |
Zambia neither produces nor formulates pesticides of its own. All pesticides are either introduced or acquired from sources outside the country through a variety of channels, such as importation, aid programmes and credit or loan arrangements.
Considerable quantities of pesticides have been maintained in strategic locations in the country, mainly for the emergency control of a variety of agricultural pests and vectors or outbreaks of grasshoppers, red locust and birds on large farms, agricultural cooperatives, etc. Unfortunately, most pesticides are kept under substandard storage conditions, with little or no appropriate management practices. This resulted in the increased accumulation of unwanted stocks over a period of several years. Long periods of storage under harsh conditions also contributed to the accelerated deterioration of containers, many of which were of low quality or had been damaged during transport, resulting in leakage and the pollution of storage sites. Most had severely deteriorated, posing serious environmental and human health problems.
There was particular public concern over 360 tonnes of obsolete pesticides located in seven different sites in the country. The most seriously affected site was the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) storage site within the Lusaka industrial area, where the bulk of obsolete pesticides in Zambia was kept. The stock, containing lindane, endosulfan, carbaryl, DDT, atrazine, diazinon, hostathion-thiodan, captan, malathion and 2,4-D, had been left under extremely substandard conditions and only part of it had been safeguarded by late 1995. Most of these pesticides had gradually entered a network of drainage channels in the vicinity or had been blown away by wind or seasonal storms into the surrounding areas. The heavily contaminated soil had been washed away during the heavy rainy seasons (January/April of every year), while the run-off from the site had drained into seasonal streams flowing into main rivers. The site still had over 300 tonnes of pesticides and heavily contaminated soil.
The second most affected site was the former Veterinary Research Centre, approximately 125 km south of Lusaka, where two main locations - two open pits and a nearby warehouse - were involved. The pits were used as illegal landfills or for dumping DDT powder, veterinary vials and expired veterinary and other medical items. The site was on low ground and close to an irrigated sugar plantation. It was therefore likely that some of the DDT powders had leached into the ground water, particularly as the site was open to rain water, which soaked the DDT. The nearby warehouse contained DDT dust scattered over the entire floor area, and was accessible to children playing in the vicinity. Finally, both the warehouse and the pits were next to a clinic.
The third affected site was a store in Ndola, owned by the International Red Locust Organization for Central and Southern Africa (IROCSA) and containing pesticide, mainly Dinitro-o-Cresol (DNOC), and large quantities of contaminated empty containers.
The fourth and fifth sites were in Nchanga/Kitwe, about 500 km north of Lusaka, where a total of 1.05 tonnes of pesticide was kept, while the sixth and seventh affected sites were in Luanshya/Mpongwe, where a total of 2.34 tonnes of different types of pesticides was kept.
The Government was aware of the problems caused by obsolete pesticides and requested technical and financial assistance from the international community in order to solve them.
The "Emergency Assistance to the Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides" project was scheduled to start in January 1996, with an FAO contribution of $US 250 000 and a scheduled duration of one year. The Project Agreement was signed by FAO and the Government of Zambia on 26 February 1996 and the project began on 12 March. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources was designated as the counterpart agency responsible for project implementation.
The objectives of the project were to remove and dispose of obsolete pesticides, to decontaminate the soil and floors of stores and to provide training for relevant technical staff in storage management and stock planning.
The project removed and disposed of a total of 360 tonnes of obsolete pesticides: over 300 tonnes from ZCF; over 35 tonnes from the Veterinary Research Centre; over 18 tonnes from IROCSA; over 1 tonne from Nchanga/Kitwe Farms; and over 2 tonnes from Luanshya/Mpongwe Farms.
As most of the pesticide stock (84%) was at ZCF in Lusaka, it was chosen as a temporary central depot for all obsolete pesticides prior to shipment to a designated destination in Europe. The pesticides were transported to the depot from the different sites and repackaged according to International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) specifications.
A total of 25 shipping containers was required, into which the pesticide stocks were loaded according to types and classes of pesticides. The means of transport was by rail to Dar-es-Salaam and then by sea, via the Suez Canal, to Europe.
Selected technical staff from different government departments were trained before the disposal operation began. The training covered the introduction to the problem of obsolete pesticides and the management of obsolete stocks, the basic requirements and sequence of disposal operations under a given set of conditions, the management of health and environmental safety features during operations, the risks associated with disposal operations, and the emergency measures and procedures for the latter.
The training stressed both the importance of complying with IMDG specifications and the need to use UN-approved containers and standard types and varieties of packaging materials, as well as the circumstances and conditions under which a given set of packaging materials should be used.
Finally, the training introduced and distributed a series of FAO Guidelines on preventing the accumulation of obsolete pesticides, pesticide storage and stock control and the disposal of bulk quantities of obsolete pesticides in developing countries, as well as various publications on safety features, etc. It also covered the international regulations and conventions relevant to disposal operations.
It is recommended that the public be made aware of the inherent danger of pesticides to the environment in general, and to human health in particular. Advantage should be taken of the media to make information available on a regular basis in both rural and urban areas.
Alternative means of pest control should be encouraged. Pesticides that are selective, environmentally friendly and non-persistent should be used as a last resort. Pesticides should never be used as the only means of pest control, but in conjunction with other pest control methods.
Laws and regulations should be enforced to minimize the importation and distribution of illegal or banned pesticides. The calendar purchasing of pesticides should be avoided and excessive donations of pesticides should be declined.
Distinct zones or locations for pesticide sales and distributions should be designated in order to minimize environmental hazards and avoid mixing pesticides with food items, feeds, etc. It is recommended that proper storage management for pesticides be introduced in all stores, whether government-owned or in the public domain, in order to ensure accurate stock taking and to enhance the principle of first-come-first-out. Frequent unannounced visits should be made to private warehouses or distributors to check pesticide storage and handling practices.
The use, purchase and distribution of pesticides by different government departments and ministries should be coordinated. It is recommended that a committee be established involving members from various government departments, agricultural associations, etc., at regional or sub-regional level to oversee the use and distribution of pesticides on a national basis, and that the Government coordinate with neighbouring countries to control cross-border or illegal trading or smuggling of pesticides.
When required, the advice of experts should be sought in the management of obsolete pesticides. The following FAO guidelines should also be applied: the FAO International Code of Conduct on the Use and Distribution of Pesticides; the FAO/UNEP Prior Informed Consent; Provisional Guidelines on Prevention of Accumulation of Obsolete Pesticide Stocks; the FAO Pesticide Storage and Stock Control Manual; and Provisional Technical Guidelines on Disposal of Bulk Quantities of Obsolete Pesticides in Developing Countries.