Improving Capacities to Eliminate and Prevent Recurrence of Obsolete Pesticides as a Model for Tackling Unused Hazardous Chemicals in the Former Soviet Union

About of project:

Description

As of now, there are still more than 10,000 tons of obsolete pesticides in the territory of Belarus; these pesticides are hazardous chemical substances that seriously threaten human health and the environment. A systemic approach to the process of their disposal would minimize the negative effect of hazardous wastes.

The Project would also make a contribution to the Green Economy – one of the key components of the country’s development.

Goals and Objectives: Intensify the development of a systemic approach to the problem of disposal of obsolete pesticides, persistent organic pollutants and other hazardous wastes. Eliminate risks associated with obsolete pesticides and contaminated sites, as well as risks resulting from their long and regular application.

Intermediate Outcomes: The Project experts have developed a road map of environmentally friendly storage and detoxification of obsolete pesticides in the CIS countries. Recommendations outlined in this long-term plan have been used by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus for drafting the National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants for 2016–2020.

Obsolete pesticides were removed from the temporary storage facility located in the village of Mizhiry (Slonim Raion, Hrodna Voblast) to be transported to France, where they will be detoxified at a specialized plant. As of July 1, 2016, 138 tons of pesticides out of 310 tons have been moved out.

In addition, in the course of the workshop “Contemporary Land Use and Methods of Crop Protection”, Belarusian specialists in agriculture were able to study new technology used in the EU. They also learned about the best practices in the area of minimization of effects of crop-protecting chemicals on human health and the environment. 

The National Public Awareness Raising Strategy on Safe Use of Pesticides, Plant Protection Products and Other Chemicals has now been developed and is used.  

Points of Contact: 

Yury Solovyov, Regional Consultant on Project Implementation in Belarus

+375 17 306 53 67, +375 29 645 65 54, ecoin@tut.by

Hyperlink: http://www.fao.org/in-action/pesticides-fsu/where-we-work/belarus/en/