Africa needs to be firm against toxic waste dumping

-the dumping of harmful chemical materials.

In an effort to prevent incidents Africa needs to reinforce existing international treaties surrounding the shipment and disposal of hazardous waste – as established in the Basel Convention and Bamako Convention whereby African states came together in 2018 to discuss ways and means of ensuring that the continent rids itself of hazardous wastes and contribute to the achievement of a pollution-free planet.

Africans have a collective responsibility to safeguard communities from the environmental and health consequences of hazardous waste dumping. Indeed the creation of regional Public-Private Partnerships could lead to the creation of adequate facilities to manage hazardous waste internally generated in Africa. Previous experiences have led Africa to establish these international treaties around chemical waste, and Africa together must ensure they continue to be adhered to.

The Basel Convention, established in 1989, prevents the shipment and disposal of hazardous waste from industrial to developing countries. This international treaty establishes a procedure of strict requirements and consents of any transboundary movement of hazardous waste.

To complement the Basel Convention, African Nations established the Bamako Convention in 1991. The Convention, which came into force in 1998, is aimed at protecting the health of populations and the environment of African countries through a ban on the import of all hazardous and radioactive wastes. It also prohibits the dumping or incineration of hazardous wastes in oceans and inland waters, and promotes the minimization and control of trans-boundary movements of hazardous wastes within the African continent. The Convention also aims to improve and ensure ecologically rational management and handling of hazardous waste within Africa, as well as the cooperation between African nations.

The first Conference of the Parties made a declaration by African ministers of environment in which they stated their determination to prevent Africa from becoming a dumping ground for toxic wastes through an effective implementation of the Bamako Convention . The declaration further states  that the import of hazardous waste into Africa is a crime against humanity and commit to prompt action to overcome barriers to effective management and minimization of waste in Africa through increased knowledge on waste scenarios in order to prevent harm to health and environment.

The convention has been ratified by 25 African countries including Tanzania. Every year almost 50 million tonnes of electronic goods are illegally dumped globally according to a report. Whether the mountains of second-hand electronic goods that end up in African schools as donations are good intentions or just being dumped, without proper dismantling and disposal, the outcome is the same: polluting soil, water, food and air.”

African nations have an opportunity to turn the threat into a source of sustainable jobs and economic growth through recycling of goods and creation of jobs.Africa must take a collective responsibility to safeguard communities from the environmental and health consequences of hazardous wastes dumping. This needs concerted efforts as no country can manage it on its own.