Transboundary Movements Of Hazardous Wastes Research Articles

Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes: The Case of Toxic Waste Dumping in Africa

Developed and developing countries are in the throes of environmental crisis. The planet earth is increasingly being literally choked by the waste by-products of development. Of major concern, especially to industrialized countries, is the problem of what to do with the millions of tons of waste materials produced each year. Owing to mounting pressure from environmental groups, the "not-in-mu-backyard" movement, the close monitoring of the activities of waste management agents, an increasing paucity of repositories for waste, and the high cost of waste treatment, the search for dumping sites for waste disposal has, in recent years, extended beyond regional and national boundaries. The 1980s have seen several attempts to export hazardous wastes to third world countries. Africa, for example, is gradually becoming the prime hunting ground for waste disposal companies. This article seeks to examine, in the context of the African continent, the sources and destinations of this form of relocation-diffusion of pollution, factors that have contributed to international trade in hazardous wastes between developed and developing countries, the potential problems such exports would bring to African countries, and measures being taken to abolish this form of international trade.

Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes

Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes

Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes for the purpose of dumping at sea

Transboundary movement of hazardous wastes for the purpose of dumping at sea

Waste disposal in Africa

The subject of this meeting of the Advisory Committee on Pollution of the Sea (ACOPS), namely, the problem of transport of toxic and hazardous waste has been well chosen for its topicality, although this serious problem is unfortunately only one of many grave environmental problems, such as desertification, marine pollution, coastal erosion, destruction of the ozone layer and others, In 1987 and 1988, several unscrupulous companies from developed countries, placing their desires for profit about the principles of solidarity and of international cooperation, conducted inadmissible gainful operations on African territory, which led to scandals relating to imports of hazardous waste. Several projects to export toxic waste were prepared, and contracts were signed with several Third World countries. Some of those projects were carried out and caused significant environmental damage; they were subsequently condemned by various organizations, especially by non-governmental organizations. Such disposal could not have been carried out without complicity of certain businessmen and unscrupulous officials. Resolution 1153 which the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) adopted in May 1988 declared all disposal of hazardous waste on the continent to be a crime against Africa and its population. Adoption of this resolution was justified because of the illicit and unauthorized disposal of hazardous waste in Africa and projects for further contracts to export highly toxic cargoes to certain countries of the African region, and because of the presence of vessels loaded with hazardous waste roaming the oceans. These events heightened awareness of environmental stakes and this was reflected not only in statements made by politicians, but, above all, in public opinion. This awareness provided the guide for African participation at the conference of plenipotentiaries at Basle in March 1989, when the lnternational Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted. At this meeting, African countries decided, as the first step, to adopt a regional treaty which would be inspired by the Basle Convention, in order to control and properly dispose of wastes generated in Africa. Threatened by illicit disposal of hazardous waste in the Third World, several countries, mindful of the need to increase their vigilance, adopted resolutions and laws to control and combat transboundary movement of hazardous waste on their national territories. African countries took part in the elaboration of the Basle Convention on control of the Transfrontier Movement of Toxic Waste. The Conference of heads of States and Governments of OAU, which was held in Addis Ababa in July 1989, recommended elaboration of an African Convention on the Protection of Environment. Prior to this, a regional workshop on toxic and hazardous waste was

United Nations Environment Programme Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Global Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes: Final Act and Text of Basel Convention

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International Controls on Transport, Disposal of Wastes Agreed Upon

Waste generation is a fact of life. problem for the chemical process industry is that its waste can be hazardous, toxic, and potentially harmful to the environment. So the question is, what to do with it. Some take the attitude that out-of-sight is out-of-mind. On that basis, the temptation always is present to send the waste to some other country for disposal, where more often than not it simply is dumped. practice came to public attention last year when ships surreptitiously offloaded containers of chemical waste in several West African countries ill-equipped to cope with it properly and safely. Now, a major step to curb this practice has been taken in Basel, Switzerland (C&EN, March 27, page 21). There, ministers and senior government officials from 116 countries, including the U.S., gave their assent to a treaty titled The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal that ...

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Signed on 22 March, 1989

"Law and Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America" analyses legal and constitutional developments in all states or regions outside of Europe as well as their regional and international integration. Founded in 1968 and inspired by decolonization and the idea of a cooperative new beginning, the Journal also promotes a special interest in contributions on 'Law and development'. The journal aims to provide a forum for a variety of perspectives on these fields of interest, be they focused on one country or comparative, theoretical or methodological in nature.

1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal