This week, St. Kitts and Nevis is hosting a pivotal workshop under the global GEF ISLANDS programme, aimed at guiding Small Island Developing States (SIDS) toward environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes.
Organised by the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean), this initiative is part of two critical projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
It is part of the Identification of Stockpiles and Development of Disposal Strategies activity that is currently being executed in twelve project countries, including St. Kitts and Nevis. This activity is crucial as many Caribbean nations face significant challenges in managing imported chemicals and chemical-containing products due to inadequate disposal mechanisms or facilities. Consequently, these hazardous substances are often stockpiled for proper disposal or export.
The project aims to develop strategies for managing and disposing hazardous chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), obsolete pesticides, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), POP-PBDEs, and HBCD in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). It also focuses on creating strategies to stabilise selected mercury-added products (MAPs).
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, with support from the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards, is seeking to minimise the use of these hazardous substances by adopting safer alternatives and removing outdated stocks and equipment containing these chemicals.
BCRC-Caribbean has partnered with TAUW, a consulting team, to execute this activity. TAUW will utilise its extensive expertise to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
As part of the Assessment Phase of Caribbean ISLANDS Activity 2.1.1, BCRC-Caribbean is hosting twelve national workshops across participating countries. In St. Kitts and Nevis, representatives from TAUW and BCRC-Caribbean will conduct national assessments to identify local stockpiles of hazardous streams.
The workshops aim to build capacity among key stakeholders involved in the waste management sector. The National Capacity Building Training and Stakeholder Workshop on Tuesday focused on enhancing national capacity and discussing lessons learned and opportunities for improving
stockpile management.
For relevant stakeholders involved in the on-the-ground management of hazardous waste stockpiles, a technical classroom training on the inventory of hazardous waste stocks began today, 10th July. This training will cover hazardous waste inventory methodologies, classification, and storage requirements, promoting the environmentally sound and safe execution of hazardous waste management.
The GEF ISLANDS programme represents a significant effort to ensure the environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals and waste in the Caribbean, ultimately protecting human health and the environment.
The two day workshop, which is being held at the St. Kitts Solid Waste Management Corporation, concludes, today, 10th July.
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