Workshop: Assistance in the development of inventory of pesticide stockpiles and agricultural POP s in Syria
Syria, Environment, 11/28/2002

A workshop was held in Damascus on November 17 - 19, as part of the project under the title: Assistance in the development of inventory of pesticide stockpiles and agricultural POP s.

The main objective of this project is to assist the Syrian government in taking the necessary preparatory actions as part of the implementing of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants ( POP s). The project will on the one hand focus to develop an inventory of obsolete pesticide stocks and agricultural POP s; design a training program for the concerned unity at the Syrian ministry of agriculture and identify priority actions required and develop project proposals that would lead to disposal of stocks.

Kevin Helps, FAO's technical officer said that pesticides accumulated over many years and originally brought into Syria to control pests like locust and to boost agricultural production. He added that for a number of different reasons not all pesticides are used, noting that information about the areas were these pesticides exist is scattered with each ministry having its own records.

He said that the project aims to gather all this information together at the Workshop to allow FAO and the Syrian ministry of agriculture to develop a plan that makes these pesticides safe in Syria for safe overseas disposal.

He added that the workshop is the first step to this process. He continued that after the workshop the FAO consultant with national Syrian consultants and representatives of the ministries of health, the environment and agriculture, with municipalities, the Agricultural Credit bank, the farmers union and all other individuals involved with pesticides, will work together for 4 weeks visiting sites, collecting information and deciding which sites are highest priority in terms of health safety and environment.

He said that when this workshop is completed, FAO with the ministers in Syria will formulate a project on making these chemicals safe, protect the environment and the population.

He said that the project is implemented, by FAO and the guidance of an International consultant. The field work will be completed by consultants by the ministries and funded by UNDP office in Syria.

Syria is not alone in its fight of pesticides, Helps said. Pesticides are in all regions of the world, but the problem is worse in developing countries which do not have necessary experience, technology and expertise to deal with the problem.

He said that in Syria there is a good legislation, research on alternatives like bio- control, which all help in dealing with this issue.

Statistics show that Syria now suffers from the accumulation of approximately 230 tons of obsolete pesticides some of which are Persistent Toxic substances ( PTS s).

As regards the industrial sector, PTS s are mainly used in the petrochemical industry as raw products or produced as either an end or a byproduct. Furthermore, Syria still uses poly chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), well-known PTS s, in electronic transformers without any sort of preventive measures for their discharge into the environment.

The Syrian Government is fully aware of the need to address the environmental and health problems associated with the use and discharge of PTS s both at the national and international levels. Therefore, Syria has actively participated in the negotiations of the Stockholm Convention on POP s that took place during the Conference of Parties in Stockholm last May. Furthermore, the Syrian delegation in New York will be authorized in the very near future to sign the final version of the Stockholm Convention on behalf of the Syrian government. Bearing this in mind, the Syrian ministry of state for environmental affairs decided to take the initiative to take immediate steps at the national level that would enable it to start the implementation of the Convention as soon as it enters into force. It is with this context that UNDP assistance was sought for the preparation of an inventory PTS s which include POP s. But this projects managed by FAO will focus on agricultural pesticides and Agricultural POP s by working in close collaboration with the ministry of Agriculture, Plant Protection services.

Moreover, the reason for UNDP support to this initiative is two- fold. First, it is in line with the government development objectives to protect and manage the environment and natural resources in a sustainable manner. Second, it falls under the second thematic area of its second CCF for the period 2002- 2006 ( which is currently being finalized ), entitled " Substantial use of natural resources and environmental conservation." Under this thematic area, UNDP has expressly committed itself to assist the government in meeting its obligations towards international environmental conventions.

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