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Our Environment is in Peril!
Now What?
By Wondirad Seifu, July 2, 2006, Addis Fortune
During the past centuries
environmental economics has joined the mainstream discourse. Hence, factors
that pollute our environment are given attention with a view to spin
sustainable development.
In the mean time,
environmental pollution becoming a tradable commodity for developing
countries, a leap service lubricant for politicians battling an electoral race, a passion for NGO’s , a source of
frustration for environmentalist , and a matter of life and death for the
rest of us. Any country that wishes to embark on the sustainable
development path needs to subscribe realistic policies against the shiny
ones prescribed for political consumption. In this regard, Ethiopia
compiled an official environmental policy document several years ago. Since
its introduction, the Federal Environmental Protection Authority [FEPA] has
ceaselessly claimed that it has been striving to implement the policy.
However, so far, no part of the policy has been translated from paper to
practice. As months melt into years and years into decade, the problem is
exacerbated, possibly causing irreversible environmental damage.
In a parallel development,
UNIDO has facilitated the installation of a dozen fancy waste treatment
plants [WTP] for several tanneries on a soft loan basis. On the average,
the investment cost of each tannery is three million birr. The Leather and
Leather Products Institute has created a display for WTP models for the
benefits of the leather sector. The national cleaner production centre,
under the auspicious of the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission has
introduced a new breed of clean technology packages. The Addis Ababa
Environmental Protection Authority has established an environmental
monitoring laboratory of NASSA standard. Amazing!
In spite of all these efforts
(at the country’s expenses), the problem has not been reduced by an inch.
Apparently, the FEPAs inaction, as an option or due to limitation or as
result of the government indecision, has encouraged free riders to freely
damage the environment in opposition to firms that are said to be
refraining from doing so. One can easily identify numerous cases to exhibit
the magnitude of the problem.
Emerging from the northern
part of Addis Ababa, Akaki River travels across the centre of the city,
incessantly receiving industrial wastes of various forms. The river has
been polluted to death. Studies reveal that it contains almost all chemical
elements of the Periodic Table, over a quarter of compounds known in the
world of chemistry and a number of banned chemicals.
No doubt the river, with all
its content, has entered our food chain; one of which is the vegetable
farms flourishing along Akaki`s banks.
Among our industries,
tanneries spearhead pollution, and that is since the first tannery, Addis
Ababa Tannery, was established in 1926 close to the source of the river. It
has discharged liquid, solid and gaseous wastes without treatment or
reservation to the environment. Such unacceptable irresponsibility holds
true for the majority of the other 20 or so tanneries.
Surprisingly, areas around
the tanneries have emerged as man-made chromium compound deposit sites,
because the victims of absolute poverty living in the area are using chrome
tanned leather, trimming, shaving wastes as a source of fuel to cook their
daily food. As leather’s protein fibre smokes out, the chromium (+3)
compound is deposited in their kitchen through green ash. In the process of
heating, chrome (+3) compound could be charged into its deadly form (+6),
which is easily soluble in water and affects living organisms.
Stray dogs living nearby
tanneries have fed on trimming of raw hide and skins, pulled out of tannery
wastewater. Unfortunately, the chemical in the wastewater damages their
hair, making their skins like that of a bald man. Their puppies are not
spared either.
The country’s environmental
problems are not limited to the capital. They sprawl all over the country.
For instance, natural and man-made causes are attributed to the dying of Abijata Lake. It has been swiftly shrinking and its
bird colony is disappearing by the day. However, the lake is still used to
harvest sodium carbonate for industrial purpose.
Though we are saddened by the
catastrophe, we are consoled by a newly born “baby ocean” in the Afar
region.
Gold fever of the world makes
businessmen rush from Wall Street to South Africa and to Adola to grab readily available gold. As a result,
traditional gold miners have been spawning at an alarming speed with
adverse environmental consequences. They use the old method of gold
purification trough mercury which is easily escaped into the environment.
Silver, the old currency metal,
now come out from x-ray and photo dark rooms, proliferated all over the
country. X-ray and film solutions contain, at least, silver and sodium
hypo-sulphite (fixer), which are harmful to the environment.
However, collection of the
used processing solution has emerged as a lucrative business as judged by
the high price of the used solution. Although technically possible to
recover silver from the used solution, their exorbitant price has
instigated question as to the purpose the used solution collection in Addis
Ababa. Even after the recovery, the discharge may be harmful, depending on
the type of technology applied in the recycling process.
Lead, which was used
excessively in antiquity as household item, is now forgone from use; but it
still poisons living organisms. Plants absorb lead and cause poisoning to
animals and humans if consumed. Now lead is generated from used car
batteries, lead based paints, motor oils, petrol and film forming varnishes
that are made from linseed oil. Many countries have banned lead in
pesticides, paints and toys.
It is not needless to mention
the debate on rose gardens which are associated with the use of chemicals
and pesticides, although the government (without an attempt to understand
their adverse effect) applauds the flower’s cash-generating potential. The
country’s use of pesticides needs to be seriously dealt with.
The list of pollutants is not
exhausted; others include textile, paper, oil, alcohol and soap factories.
Nevertheless, the cases so far mentioned are more than enough to take
unconditional and urgent measures.
Recently, the Action
Professionals Association for People (APAP), a local non-profit
organisation that provides pro bono
consultation, expressed its concern about a person who has shown symptoms
of health problems caused by the use of water from Akaki
River. APAP is poised to sue the government under the public litigation
act.
Well, the attempt of the APAP
is not bad; however, it seems to be unsuccessful strategy under the absence
of an independent judiciary. After all, the government seems to be busy in
translating its own version of the constitution.
On the eve of the 2006 World
Environmental Day celebration, the government agencies are busy in
reactivating and polishing issues and policies related to the environment
such as impact assessment, audit, laws, awards, but with no penalties,
deterring measures or even simple admonishment for the polluters mentioned.
The environmental law allows
a five-year grace period before polluters must meet environmental
standards. Ironically therefore, polluters are granted a licence to pollute
the environment for an additional five years.
What if they fall to deliver
on their promises? Will they shut down or will their licence be renewed?
After all, the government declared that the country’s economy is growing.
If that is true, we should not ignore the environmental pollution
associated with the booming China.
Can we afford the problem
anymore? Should we continue crying out with different mood , tone and style
during lavishly organized and colourfully orchestrated workshops , may be
under a new theme like “Revisiting Environmental Problems”?
My answer is enough! You can find yours. As of this day,
let any polluter pay the equivalent to the amount of pollution they
generate. In the mean time, let them organize themselves to refrain from
polluting within the allowed five years. If they fail to do so, the payment
should be raised in such a way as to progressively reduce their profit
margin. The money should be awarded to the public on the World Environment
Day and used to finance environmental related projects.
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