RECWET Special Seminar Series #2
"Hazardous Waste Management In South East Asia : Concerns And For Capacity Building"

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■Time and Date: July 19, 2012, 10:00-11:30
■Place: Engineering Building 14, room 144 (2nd Floor), Hongo Campus,The University of Tokyo
■Speaker:Professor C. Visvanathan (Asian Institute of Technology and JSPS Special Invited Fellow)

Seminar Outline

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: CONCERNS AND NEED FOR CAPACITY BUILDING

The hazardous waste management problem in the countries of transition with rapid industrial growth is an important environmental issue in the region. Industrial hazardous waste management in the South East Asian countries raises many serious concerns such as lack of information and data on the quantity and quality of hazardous waste, outdated and scattered small scale industries, unavailability of treatment plants, lack of specialized legislation on hazardous waste, or weak legislation, weak institutional and enforcing structures, inexperienced professionals, less public awareness. Waste trafficking is yet another important aspect to be controlled in order to protect the environment of poorer nations. However some countries in the regions have progressed in managing hazardous waste with cleaner production and reduce, reuse, recycle (3R) approaches. Nevertheless, an increased industrial rate brings increased industrial hazardous waste that need to be addressed with strong technical, legal and other capacity development. Capacity building of the industries as well as government implementation bodies and increasing public awareness and building regional efforts in handling hazardous waste movement is thus critical at this stage for handling hazardous waste in SEA. Capacity development can thus adequately equip government body and industries for effective enforcement mechanisms of hazardous waste management.