TRAINING WORKSHOP ON CAPACITY STRENGTHENING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STOCKHOLM CONVENTION NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

By, Evelyn Mkokoi, VPO. It was revealed that, due to increased industrial chemicals production, widespread application plants and anima... thumbnail 1 summary
By, Evelyn Mkokoi, VPO.

It was revealed that, due to increased industrial chemicals production, widespread application plants and animal pesticides as well a human medicine in the country, there has been a growing impact of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on human health and environment. This was said by Ms. Magdalena Mtenga, the Assistant Director of Environment in the Vice President’s Office during the opening of a two days training workshop on sound management of Persistent Organic Pollutants under Stockholm Convention. In her statement, she described the existence of obsolete stockpiles of pesticides, industrial activities and improper application of agrochemicals in farming activities in some regions in the country leads to exposure to POPs contamination to ecosystems and humans.

She however noted that the training workshop is aimed at enhancing the capacity of experts from who were recruited from a diversity of institutions dealing with management of chemicals including Agriculture, Environment, GCLA, LGAs, TANESCO and NGOs from Dar es Salaam, Pwani and Morogoro regions. Moreover, Ms. Magdalena added that the participants will equipped with UNIDO and FAO guidelines for management of POPs. 

Earlier when opening the training workshop, the Director of Environment in the Vice President's Office, Dr. Julius Ningu insisted that the training workshop was expected to improve the capacity of experts and their institutions in protecting human health and the environment from POPs contamination through the knowledge and expertise that was to be acquired.  He reiterated that POPs are toxic, persistent and travel long distances hence their impacts can reach places where they were not originally produced and that human activities are the prime sources of POPs.

He insisted that if the objectives of the training will be achieved, the health and environmental effects of POPs will be reduced and the aim of the Stockholm convention will be realized.

This training workshop involved chemical and environmental experts from ministries, Local government, Agencies and NGOs as part of implementation of Stockholm Convention National Implementation Plan (NIP) in the area of capacity building for experts in sectors dealing with POPs under Stockholm convention which Tanzania is a Party.