The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
November 2003 could go down in history as the beginning of a new era in the regulation of hazardous chemicals. On November 26, 2003 Armenia ratified the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (pic) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade. It was the 50th country …
at a time when most countries are phasing out mercury, India has donned the dubious mantle of the world’s toxic capi tal. Its import of elemental mercury doubled from 254 tonnes in 1996 to 531 tonnes in 2002, making it the biggest consumer of the hazardous element across the globe. …
Thanks to an alert sounded by activists, the Indian authorities could take timely action to prevent dumping of toxic waste. Pressure group Greenpeace had raised an alarm about the Norwegian ship Hesperus
Exactly what is the new millenium all about? Some call it the time of the information technology (it) revolution. Some say it is globalisation turning mature. But, as one looks for ways to name the present, there pops up a phrase with a murky neologism in it: the new millenium …
the regulations governing the European Union's (eu) chemical industry are set to undergo a drastic change, with special emphasis being laid on self-regulation. This shift in focus was apparent in the draft of the eu's new chemical legislation, which was released recently by the European Commission (ec). Termed reach
• He served the Indian Army in his heydays. Today he cannot stand straight and can barely walk without a walking stick. Hands, which used to wield artillery, cannot hold a glass of water or button his shirt. D V Singh, a 66-year-old retired army officer, is suffering from central …
toddlers in trouble: A research institute has found high levels of mercury in 60 per cent of newborns at hospitals in Itaituba city, in the Brazilian Amazon. Out of the 1,666 babies born during 2002 in the hospitals, 1,000 were detected with mercury contamination. Some of the kids had 80 …
come 2004, 90 per cent of landfills will be shut down in the uk. The step is being taken in the wake of a recent eu directive that has clamped down on landfills in all its member states. "It stipulates that all landfills are to be classified as inert, hazardous …
The European Commission is considering strengthening the present chemical safety rules to ensure the removal of hazardous products. Under the proposal, companies would have to publicly state the properties of the chemicals used in their manufactured merchandise. Special authorisations would be required for elements that are known to cause grave …
China has topped the list of anti-dumping cases accounting for half of the 30 investigations initiated in 2002-03. The annual report of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) released said China was followed by Taiwan and Korea with six cases each and Singapore with four cases. The …
The mercury issue is back to haunt Hindustan Lever Limited (hll). The Hazardous Waste Management Committee (hwmc) of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has ordered the company to submit all documents necessary to determine the actual extent of contamination caused by the company's mercury thermometer factory. The panel has …
At a time when the threat of war looms large over Iraq, here's more ammunition for peaceniks to confront warmongers with. The United Nations Environment Programme (unep) recently released the findings of assessments conducted in the violence-wracked Occupied Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan. The reports have brought into sharp focus the …
two incidents of illegal handling of waste oil have come to light recently, underscoring the fact that trade in the hazardous product continues unabated in India. That this is being done in utter disregard of Supreme Court (sc) directives
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (pops), signed by India on May 14, 2002, has expectedly raised the chemical manufacturers' hackles. The pact seeks to regulate the use of the world's most toxic substances, covering 12 of the deadliest chemicals. Interestingly, the industry is not so shaken by the …
PILE OF PERIL: Toxic waste from piles of unused pesticides in Africa is threatening people's health and the environment. Despite several clean-up measures by the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), less than five per cent of the stockpiles have been disposed till now. IN PROTEST: From October 5 to …
too little, too late. Four words that pithily describe steps taken by the authorities to plug hazardous waste oil imports in a case involving several Indian companies. For, it is after two years that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (mpcb) has filed a petition against 11 firms which shipped hazardous …
Picturesque Santa Monica, located in California and known for its palm tree-lined boulevards, has of late been dug up by ungainly drilling rigs. At one level, the intensive boring operations are seeking to trace potential carcinogen methyl tertiary butyl ether (mtbe) that has seeped from underground petrol storage tanks into …
