Sierra Leone boasts an array of diverse animal and plant life and a rich environment, including savannahs, mountain ranges and Tiwai Island, one of the few remaining tracts of ancient rainforest left in West Africa. Like its rich national landscape, its government and population remain resilient as they continue to develop and heal from a long-lasting civil war.
One of the government’s key goals is protecting its citizens from the health hazards caused by poorly managed chemicals and waste. To address this challenge, the government of Sierra Leone is working with the Chemicals and Waste Management Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on a two-year project.
Overcoming a lack of funding and resources
Sierra Leone is a party to the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions, protective UN instruments that deal with key aspects of chemicals and waste management. To increase its capacity to implement these instruments, the government of Sierra Leone, with the support of the Special Programme, will:
- Develop a national profile for chemicals and waste;
- Devise a national action plan that engages both the public and private sector; and
- Enhance the reporting and enforcement capacities of stakeholders central to combatting chemical and waste challenges in the country.
This will support the country’s inadequate waste management capabilities, resulting from insufficient funding and resources and endangers the natural environment and health of its 7 million citizens, adding an extra burden to a country still affected by its recent war-filled history.
The uncontrolled waste dumping and open-air burning of solid wastes is an ongoing issue, reinforced by a lack of engineered landfills and treatment and storage facilities for waste. As such, both individuals and private-sector businesses continue to improperly dispose of waste. Virtually all types of waste that cannot be re-used are burned at dump sites, including plastics, creating a toxic load of emissions.
Developing a national profile
The national profile will present the existing facts on the governance of chemicals and waste in the country, providing the data and insight to drive the project. The profile will include current policies pertaining to companies in the manufacturing, mining, agriculture, pharmaceutical, automobile, and infrastructure industries, whose chemicals and waste often find their way into communities. The profile will also describe the potential health and environmental threats chemicals and waste pose when not disposed of properly.
Once complete, the profile will be used to develop a national action plan to bridge the gaps between the country’s current practices on managing chemicals and waste and the best practices outlined under the chemicals and waste related conventions. The action plan will also outline the roles and responsibilities of government stakeholders working in the public health and environmental agencies, timelines and budgets for implementation, and potential donor sources to secure more funding.
Action plan
The action plan will present a roadmap for involving both the public and private sectors in chemicals and waste management activities.
One avenue identified to address uncontrolled waste dumping and open-air burning is providing business opportunities to dumpsite dwellers and managers of private companies.
Another avenue is working directly with local councils to address open dumping and the burning of waste. Through workshops, council members will be trained on how to monitor and report these practices in their communities and the best available techniques and environmental practices to reduce the amount of waste that is burned and dumped.
Such public and private sector involvement could prove key to effectively managing chemicals and waste in the long term.
Enhancing reporting and enforcement
Training and ongoing capacity building are crucial for those working to improve chemicals and waste management in Sierra Leone. Therefore, as part of the project, an expert on chemicals and waste management will be hired to develop training tools that include summarised regulatory requirements. These tools will also clarify penalties, checklists and standard operating procedures related to inspection and monitoring, data collection sheets and reporting templates.
This will enable enhanced enforcement and reporting capacities on chemicals and waste for enforcement agencies’ staff, local council members and dumpsite managers. As a testament to the government’s goal of actively involving the private sector, both recyclers and businesses that are recognized as generators of chemicals and waste will also benefit from the training.
Through these initiatives, the government of Sierra Leone will be better positioned to effectively manage its chemical and waste burden. The success of the project will be a major stride toward meeting its obligations under the chemicals and waste related conventions and, more importantly, towards protecting Sierra Leoneans and their environment for generations to come.
For further information, please contact the Special Programme Secretariat at unepchemicalsspecialprogramme@un.org
