.png)
The keenness shown by Bahrain to be proactive in signing the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Transport of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal among the 34 countries that signed the agreement embodies the great interest that the government attaches to this aspect, which is undoubtedly a civilized matter in the first place.
Bahrain, which was among the first group of countries to sign the Basel Convention, was aware of the growing threats and risks to human and environmental health as a result of the recent escalation of the issue of transporting toxic and hazardous waste across borders, so it was necessary to take the necessary measures in a way that guarantees the safety of the citizen environment and exercising its sovereign right over its lands, waters and airspace.
There is no doubt that the issue of transporting hazardous and toxic waste has increased in recent years, especially what has been reported in the news of negotiations by some industrialized countries to get rid of their hazardous waste and their choice of some developing countries to bury their waste in exchange for some material assistance calls on everyone to resolve to put in place strict measures to combat these methods that Generate harmful effects on human health and the environment in the short and long term.
The (Basel) Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which Bahrain recently signed, is one of the aspects of global concern that has been increasing recently and the need to find strict provisions that put an end to this issue or, in the weakest case, reduce the dangers posed by these wastes to minimum.
But the question that imposes itself is whether the mere agreement to control the transportation of these wastes and their disposal will reduce this problem, given that we know that some of the countries that will sign or have already signed the (Basel) Convention are among the countries that can generate toxic and dangerous wastes? . The signing of the agreement is a good thing, but there must be strict control that gives this type of agreement effective in protecting human and environmental health from the dangers of these toxins and puts an end to the problem of illegal trafficking in its transportation across borders.
The Gulf countries are aware of the amount of human and environmental harm that can be caused by the issue of hazardous and toxic waste, based on their bitter experience during the war between Iraq and Iran, which lasted for 8 years, and the environmental pollution it caused to the regional and international waters in the region. Therefore, today they must be aware of the importance of preserving the cleanliness of the environment in the region and protecting it in all forms of waste that affect human life. Our mission is ours alone, but it is one of the necessities that we must provide for our children, present and in the future.
Comments