Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations. It is aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the generation, management, transboundary movements and disposal of hazardous and other wastes.
The convention was opened for signature in 1989 in Basel, Switzerland and entered into force in 1992. As of 2022, 187 states and the European Union are parties to the Basel Convention. The United States has signed but not ratified the agreement.
Key Provisions and Obligations
The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes applying the “Prior Informed Consent” procedure. Shipments made without consent from the receiving country are illegal. The Convention obliges its Parties to ensure that hazardous and other wastes are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Parties are expected to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes at source, as well as the transboundary movements of such wastes. Waste should be disposed of as close as possible to its source of generation. There is a general prohibition on the export of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries. Parties can, however, enter into new bilateral or multilateral agreements regarding transboundary movements.
Achievements and Challenges
The Basel Convention has been successful in reducing toxic waste dumping, with exports of hazardous waste from wealthy countries to poorer ones dropping dramatically. A number of open dumpsites in developing nations have been closed thanks to the risk reduction, clean-up and liability programs put in place under Basel.
However, the Convention faces difficulties keeping pace with the rapidly increasing generation of electronic or “e-waste” from discarded electronics and electrical devices. Finding environmentally-sound disposal options for the 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated annually remains a key challenge. Even where transboundary movements are reduced, capacity for safe localized disposal is often lacking. Illegal hazardous waste dumping also persists despite Basel agreements and national legislative efforts.
Basel Conventions and BRS
Basel Convention is one of the three Conventions that deal with International Environmental Law. These three conventions are Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
Basel Convention and India
India ratified the Basel Convention on 24 June 1992 and drafted the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules in 1989 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
