The island nation of Vanuatu has undergone rapid development in recent years, and has been one of the fastest-growing economies of the Pacific region. But this surge in economic growth has come at a cost: an increasingly affluent society has led to a dramatic increase in waste production, due to lack of a proper waste management. The country’s landscape is at times strewn with litter, while waste is regularly dumped in rivers, lakes and waterways.
At the same time, Vanuatu lacks a chemical manufacturing industry, meaning the country has to import chemicals for use in many sectors including health, agriculture and pest control. This combination of increasingly hazardous chemicals being imported without adequate regulation, and the growth of waste generation in the general population has become a public health problem and serious risk to the country’s natural environment.
Despite these challenges, Vanuatu has taken concrete steps to improve its waste policy, including ratification of the Stockholm Convention. In order to support these ongoing efforts, the Chemicals and Waste Management Programme is partnering with local authorities on a three-year project to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity for chemicals and waste management, in line with the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata conventions.
The project will see Vanuatu complete a national chemicals profile to provide a comprehensive overview and assessment of the existing legal, institutional and technical infrastructure related to the sound life-cycle management of chemicals. This will help to identify national priorities to be addressed, as well as the legislative amendments necessary to fully implement the conventions. This will culminate in a series of recommendations to create, amend or repeal legislation so that sound management of chemicals becomes a key part of Vanuatu’s public policy following the project’s conclusion.
Vanuatu will also work to establish a centralized national database for chemicals and waste. In consultation with relevant stakeholders, the country will develop and implement a data collection and analysis plan. This plan will see Vanuatu establish a thorough database for chemicals and waste-related information, including chemical inventories, waste recycling, disposal and export activities. This database will allow Vanuatu to implement evidence-based policies and programmes on chemical management as part of ongoing efforts for environmental protection.
With support from the Chemicals and Waste Management Programme, Vanuatu will also develop and deliver certified training programmes in chemicals and waste management targeted to specific audiences including school teachers, chemical importers, waste managers and others. Training priorities will include safe handling and use of chemicals, safe management of school laboratory chemicals, safe chemical storage and end-of-life management.
In line with relevant conventions, implementation and enforcement training will also be provided
to customs officers, customs brokers and enforcement agencies. For customs officers, training will include detection and classification of chemicals and detection of illegal trade in chemicals and waste. This training will build capacity for safely managing the import of chemicals into Vanuatu as part of the long-term chemicals and waste management strategy.
The project will also seek to empower women as decision makers by having equal representation of women on the project steering committee and in training programmes. Vanuatu will also seek to collect data on how chemicals and waste affect women and children to inform policies and awareness-raising programmes.
Through these actions, Vanuatu will confront the twin crises arising from growing waste generation and unchecked chemical importation, ensuring that future economic development does not jeopardize the country’s precious natural environment.
For further information please contact the Special Programme Secretariat at unepchemicalsspecialprogramme@un.org
