Government of Pakistan Ministry of Environment Islamabad NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (NIP) FOR PHASING OUT AND ELIMINATION OF POPS FROM PAKISTAN UNDER STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ARTICLE 7 (a) POPs, Enabling Activity Project, Islamabad, PAKISTAN. Page 1 of 842 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... ..2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................... 3 ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................... 17 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 20 Objectives of the National Implementation Plan (NIP) ........................................................ 21 2. COUNTRY BASELINE .................................................................................................. 23 2.1. Country Profile .............................................................................................................. 23 2.1.1. Location, Geography and Climate.......................................................................... 23 2.1.2 Population, education, health and employment ....................................................... 27 2.1.3 Overview of the economy........................................................................................ 30 2.1.4 Economic sectors..................................................................................................... 40 2.1.5 Environmental Overview......................................................................................... 44 2.2 Institutional, Policy and Regulatory Framework................................................................ 2.2.1 Environmental Policy and General Legislative Framework.................................... 45 2.2.2. Legislation and Regulations Addressing POPs Chemicals..................................... 50 2.3 Assessment of the POPs Issues in Pakistan .................................................................... 57 2.3.1 Assessment of POPs- Pesticides issue in Pakistan .................................................. 57 2.3.2 Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) issue in Pakistan ...................... 60 2.3.3 Assessment of Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (U-POPs) ................. 65 2.3.4. Present Management of POPs, Current Capacity and Experience ......................... 68 2.3.5. Public Information, Awareness and Education....................................................... 68 2.3.6 Relevant Activities of Non-Governmental Stakeholder .......................................... 69 3. STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN ELEMENTS OF THE NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.. (NIP)......................................................................................................................... 70 3.1. Policy Statement............................................................................................................. 70 3.2 Implementation Strategy for National Action Plan (NIP)............................................... 71 3.2.1 Objectives and Priorities of Action Plan.................................................................. 71 3.2.2 Overall Objectives ................................................................................................... 71 3.2.3 Constraints............................................................................................................... 71 3.2.4 Prioritization ............................................................................................................ 73 3.3 Activities, Strategies and Action Plans ........................................................................... 73 3.3.1 POPs Pesticides: Elimination and rational management of obsolete stocks/contaminated sites ............................................................................................ 73 3.3.2 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): Elimination ..................................................... 81 3.3.3 Unintended POPs (PCDDs & PCDFs) : Reduction of emissions............................ 88 3.3.4. Strengthening the Legislative Infrastructure for control of POPs and Enforcement, particularly in relation to action plan 3.3.1 to 3.3.3................................................... 102 3.3.5. Promotion of Awareness in relation to all action plans, but particularly for action… plan 3.3.1 to 3.3.3:..................................................................................................... 105 3.3.6.Strengthening of the Information Base, Surveillance and Data Management in…….. relation to POPs:........................................................................................................ 109 3.3.7.3 Institutional Strengthening.................................................................................... 113 3.3.8. Human Resources Development for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention NIP (in relation to all 3.3.1. to 3.3.7)......................................................................... 116 ANNEXES.................................................................................................................. 118 Page 2 of 842 Executive Summary The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was signed by Pakistan on 6 December 2004 and ratified on April 16, 2008. In the context of enabling activities the draft of a National Implementation Plan (NIP) has been prepared which outlines the proposed programmes that would be required to meet obligations under the Convention. This document provides a policy framework, which lays out a road map for addressing the specific issues of POPs in Pakistan and aims to: (i) eliminate POPs pesticides, with rational management of obsolete stockpiles/ contaminated sites; (ii) eliminate PCBs and PCB contaminated equipment, with decontamination and rehabilitation of contaminated sites (iii) reduce emissions of unintended POPs (iv) strengthen legal and institutional frameworks for managing POPs and chemical pollutants; (v) establish monitoring programmes for POPs and other chemical pollutants; (vi) enhance transfer of appropriate technology for control of POPs releases; (vii) Improve public information, awareness and education concerning hazards of POPs and their elimination. Pakistan is a Federal country where Provincial governments, in partnership with the Federal Government, need to play a crucial role in implementing progammes for sound management of chemicals. Further, situations and priorities in relation to POPs vary among the Provinces and Federal Territories. Consequently this document also addresses issues at the level of the four Provinces: Balochistan, NWFP, Punjab, Sindh, as well as AJK and Northern Areas. With the assistance of UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Pakistan POPs Enabling Activity Project has undertaken a series of activities as components of the enabling activity project, namely: (a) preparation of inventories of POPs (b) promotion of awareness raising concerning POPs issues both at Provincial and Federal levels; (c) consultation with Provinces as to priorities for elimination or reduction of POPs; (d) identification of activities that would be required in Provinces and Federal Territories for implementation of the Convention; (e) dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders belonging to various government departments, the private commercial and industrial sector, civil society and academia etc. The inventories and consultations have provided a sound basis for the formulation of the National Implementation Plan (NIP). This policy document is formulated in the context of the goal of environmentally sound and sustainable economic and social development for Pakistan. It is in line with the Poverty Page 3 of 842 Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the Pakistan’s Development Vision 2020, both of which call for improvement in quality of life and social wellbeing. The vision is a guiding policy framework for Pakistan in its quest for sustainable development. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) serve as the guiding targets for Economic Growth and on reducing poverty, diseases and environmental degradation. The implementation of the NIP will therefore contribute to the national efforts of combating poverty and improve environmental quality resulting in enhanced quality of life and societal uplift. Further, the National Environment Policy provides an overarching framework for addressing the environmental issues facing Pakistan, particularly pollution of fresh water bodies and coastal waters, air pollution, lack of proper waste management, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, desertification, natural disasters and climate change. It also gives directions for addressing the cross sectoral issues as well as the underlying causes of environmental degradation and meeting international obligations. The Pakistan National Health Policy makers have been sensitized on relevant aspects of the NIP discussed during stakeholders dialogues organized by the POPs Project. In the light of many emerging global environmental concerns which demand joint efforts in reducing impacts to human health and the environment, there is a need for an integrated approach to sound management of chemicals and their wastes. The NIP as a policy document is meant to be dynamic so as to accommodate new interventions such as SAICM to the emerging global environmental