Strengthening the national institutional capacity for chemicals and waste management in Vanuatu
Project Story
Vanuatu: overcoming challenges of booming waste and unchecked chemical importing
Project Summary
As a least developed country and a small island developing State, Vanuatu does not have a chemical manufacturing industry, and imports chemicals from various countries for use in many sectors including health, agriculture, and pest control. Due to the increasing use of more complex and diverse chemicals in Vanuatu, there is an increasing risk of harm to human health and the environment. Therefore, the Government of Vanuatu recognizes the importance of environmentally sound lifecycle management of chemicals and has been working towards this goals over the last two decades. The project seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity in Vanuatu to implement sound chemicals and waste management in line with the Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata Conventions. The project will be implemented by the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC), with strategic oversight provided by a National Chemicals Coordinating Committee.
Project Objectives
The project will undertake the following measures:
- Develop a national chemicals profile through a situational analysis;
- Develop a contemporary National Chemicals Management Policy and costed implementation plan, which will help to mainstream Vanuatu’s obligations under the Conventions into national implementation priorities;
- Review the national legislative framework for chemicals management to reduce overlap, close legislative loopholes, and strengthen national capacity for environmentally sound chemicals management;
- Establish a centralised data management system for chemicals and wastes to enable updated data on chemicals and waste to be collected and used for better decision- and policy-making;
- Strengthen the human technical capacity of relevant institutions through the provision of training to stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Conventions, as well as those involved in the life-cycle management of chemicals.
Project Details
- Party: Stockholm
- Country Classification: Least developed country / Small island developing State
- Special Programme Trust Fund: USD 250,000
- Cofinancing Total: USD 62,910
- Project duration: July 2019 – June 2022
