Sound management of chemicals and wastes to minimize their negative impacts on human health and the environment is important at both global and national levels. A set of issues related to hazardous chemicals and waste, such as minimizing the risks from chemicals throughout their entire life cycle, protecting vulnerable populations, prioritizing pollution prevention and reducing the generation of hazardous wastes, is being addressed by the international initiative, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management ( SAICM). It should be noted that the issues raised by SAICM are not addressed by any chemical conventions.
Reform of the chemical industry of Uzbekistan, diversification and development of new types of industry products and other transformations are accompanied by measures to protect health and the environment. Particular attention is paid to training and retraining of personnel on environmental issues. Thus, within the framework of the Joint project of the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of Uzbekistan / UNEP “Implementation of a Special Program to support institutional strengthening at the national level in order to increase the effectiveness of implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management” a seminar was organized - training dedicated to SAICM issues, as well as such an important mechanism for its implementation - the Circular Economy.
Representatives of the involved ministries, departments, and environmentalists from industrial enterprises of the republic took part in the training seminar.
Olga Speranskaya, International Expert, Co-Chair of the international organization HEJSupport (Supporting Health and Environmental Justice, Germany) made a presentation on the SAMRCM and the concept of a circular economy.
In order to consolidate the acquired knowledge, the participants of the training seminar interactively discussed the importance of SAICM for ensuring public health and environmental protection, problematic issues of implementing SAICM in Uzbekistan, the basic principles of the circular economy, tools for creating waste-free technologies, its connection with the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the end of the seminar, the participants developed a number of proposals to enhance the participation of stakeholders: the industrial sector, agriculture, business structures, the public, etc. in the implementation of SAICM, as well as to introduce the principles of a circular economy in Uzbekistan. The proposals focused on the need to strengthen the material and technical base of environmental analytical laboratories, create an appropriate infrastructure for the separate collection and processing of waste, and increase awareness and knowledge of the general public in the field of chemicals and waste management.
Information and analytical department of CSAC
