Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

Subject – Environment

Context – Ahmedabad: Vessel containing ‘hazardous substances’ intercepted, brought to Mundra Port

Concept –

• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal first came into force in 1992.
• The Convention puts an onus on exporting countries to ensure that hazardous wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner in the country of import.
• The Basel Convention places obligations on countries that are party to the Convention. 151 Countries have ratified the Basel Convention as at December 2002.
• These obligations are to:
  • Minimise generation of hazardous waste;
  • Ensure adequate disposal facilities are available;
  • Control and reduce international movements of hazardous waste;
  • Ensure environmentally sound management of wastes; and
  • Prevent and punish illegal traffic.
• It particularly focuses on preventing transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries.
• It provides for cooperation between the parties, including exchange of information on issues relevant to the implementation of the Convention.
• It applies Prior Consent Approval procedure to regulate the transboundary movement of the hazardous and other wastes.
• Non-parties cannot transport hazardous waste to and from each other unless specially agreed. Basel Convention states such transportation, illegal.
• The member nations to the convention are required to have domestic legislation for both prevention and the punishment of the illegal trafficking of such hazardous wastes.
• Conference of Parties (COP) is a primary organ of the Basel Convention and is responsible to make decisions about the operations of the convention. It meets biennially.
• India is a member of the Basel Convention. It ratified the convention in June 1992 and brought it into force on 22nd September 1992.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MOEF&CC) introduced Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules of 2016.