In August 2006 Ivory Coast was visited with a horrible hazardous waste disaster under quite dubious circumstances; The naval vessel ‘Probo Koala’ chartered by a Dutch Company had 400 tons of toxic waste it was carrying offloaded from it and dumped on at least 12 sites in Abidjan some in residential areas. What followed were the deaths of 10 people and the poisoning of thousands allegedly resulting from waste. It became apparent that processes for the prevention and handling of such issues was needed, especially in Africa, and therefore the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), partnering with other agencies, has stepped in to do just that. On 16th June 2008 it launched a project to address gaps in the international instruments controlling transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and waste generated on ships, unscrupulous behavior from some private operators, and the need to strengthen hazardous waste management capacity in many developing countries, including in Côte d’Ivoire. As part of the initiative, a hazardous waste management plan will be developed for the District of Abidjan, whose inhabitants were directly affected by the ‘Probo Koala’ incident. This project should go some way in protecting the lives of Ivorians who are all too vulnerable to whims of unscrupulous waste disposers.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806160534.html
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