African Stockpiles Programme

Geographical location:

Africa/Madagascar > Africa General

Africa/Madagascar > East Africa > Ethiopia
Africa/Madagascar > East Africa > Tanzania
Africa/Madagascar > Southern Africa > Republic of South Africa
Africa/Madagascar > West Africa > Mali
Africa/Madagascar > West Africa > Nigeria
Europe/Middle-East > North Africa > Morocco
Europe/Middle-East > North Africa > Tunisia

Summary

The African Stockpiles Programme (ASP) aims to clear obsolete pesticide stocks from Africa and put in place measures to help prevent their recurrence. The concept of a continent-wide stockpiles project grew out of informal discussions involving WWF, PAN, the World Bank, FAO, African Union, NEPAD, and several other inter-governmental organizations. Since December 2000, the Africa Stockpiles Programme has evolved substantially as a multi-stakeholder partnership.

Countries targeted for phase 1 clean-up activities include: Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and Tanzania, with special preparatory activities planned for Nigeria. Within these 7 countries, the ASP will contribute to national development strategies, especially in agriculture and rural development, in areas of public health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and strengthening of the agricultural sector.

Background

Virtually every country has stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and associated wastes that have accumulated over periods as long as 40 years. At least 50,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides and contaminated soils have accumulated in African countries. These pesticides pose serious threats to the health of both rural and urban populations, especially the poorest of the poor, and contribute to land and water degradation.

Chemical pesticides have contributed to the protection of crop, human, and animal health for over a half century. Because of the toxicity of pesticides, their production, trade, and use are regulated in most industrialized nations. In developing countries, however, management of pesticides is often inadequate due to lack of available resources. Many countries suffer from weak import controls, lack of training on appropriate pesticide use, inappropriate donations and aggressive sales practices, poor storage and stock management, pressure to stockpile for unforeseen emergencies, and lack of safe destruction technologies.

The first phase (ASP P-1) of the project will directly contribute to:
- Reducing public health risks through reducing exposure to pesticides.
- Improving the quality of life in the poor communities through reducing pesticide hazards in their living and working environment.
- Improving environmental protection through reducing pesticide pollution and pesticide-related degradations of fisheries, waters and soils.
- Enhancing the opportunity of the agricultural sector to better manage crop pesticides.

Objectives

- Clean up stockpiled pesticides and pesticide-contaminated wastes (e.g., containers and equipment) in Africa in an environmentally sound and safe manner.
- Catalyze development of prevention measures.
- Provide capacity building and institutional strengthening on important chemicals-related issues.

Achievement

- Support to PMUs: WWF has continued to provide support to Project Management Units in partner countries in the development of their national/country communication strategies. Workshops and support meetings have been held with PMUs in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Tunisia and Nigeria. The importance of communication activities is now well acknowledged among country PMUs. Support for the communication activities is steadily increasing and countries will soon start implementing their strategies.
- ASP Stakeholders’ forum: WWF has organised three ASP stakeholders’ meetings: 1st forum in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2006, 2nd forum was in October 2007 in Rabat, Morocco and the 3rd forum was in October 2008 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The forum which is held annually provides an opportunity for all stakeholders involved in the ASP to be updated on programme activities and to offer their views or perspectives on developments in the programme. Participants at the forums include donors, NGO, government and industry representatives.
- WWF has targeted different audiences to inform about the ASP, obsolete pesticides and chemical conventions. Events have targeted policy makers, academia and civil society. ASP side events have been held at major international meetings such as the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (COP 8), Nairobi, the 4th meeting of Conference of Parties Stockholm Convention (COP 4) and the second session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM2) both held in Geneva, Switzerland in May 2009.
- WWF has continued to collaborate and build partnerships with organizations outside of ASP with which information is shared. Collaboration with farmer associations, conservation networks and institutions of research and higher learning has grown. For example, many farmers and producer organizations are keen to work with WWF and to learn more about obsolete pesticides and proper pesticide management.
- WWF publications on pesticide safety for small holder farmers and for school children have been developed and distributed to ASP partners and participating countries. These booklets have been found to be very useful in communicating the hazards of pesticides in a simple manner. Numerous requests have been received to translate them into local African languages.
- There has been an inventory of 4,777 tons of obsolete pesticides and associated waste, as well as contaminated containers, implementation of prevention activities. WWF is part of the ASP Implementing Committee (ASPIC) that oversees and monitors progress in participating countries. WWF training in communications has been applied in pre-inventory visits to inform the public, government and other stakeholders of the inventory plans and how stakeholders should support and contribute to their success.
- Improved cooperation among stakeholders on ASP related issues and increased information sharing and access to relevant information.
- ASP has increased its partnership portfolio with international NGOs and government institutions both within the ASP1 countries and non ASP countries.
- There is an increased understanding among journalists on obsolete pesticides and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) issues. Successful journalists’ workshops have been held. These have resulted in a broadening of the reach of the programme through out the continent.
- Progress has been made in fundraising and development of project proposals for work that will support and compliment already existing activities of the ASP.