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Persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, are chemicals
such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, and unwanted by-products
of industrial processes or combustion. These chemical substances
cause injury to human health and to species and ecosystems both
adjacent to and far away from their sources. Their effects include
disruption of endocrine systems, suppression of immune system functions,
carcinogenic traits, and induction of reproductive and developmental
changes. POPs have three main traits:
- persistence: they are able to resist degradation
in various media (air, water and sediments) for months and even
decades;
- bio-accumulation: POPs can accumulate in living
tissues at levels higher than those in the surrounding environment;
and
- potential for long range transport: they have
the potential to travel great distances from the source of release
through air, water, and migratory species.
The GEF was designated by the international community
as the interim financial mechanism for POPs in May 2001. In December
2001, the GEF Council agreed to create a new focal area for POPs.
This process was completed at the 16-18 October 2002 GEF Assembly
meetings. Guidance for developing projects comes from the Stockholm
Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. UNDP-GEF is currently
assisting countries through enabling activities to meet their Convention
commitments to reduce or eliminate the release of POPs into the
global environment.
While the final guidelines for this area are still
being finalized, the new draft operational programme (OP) below
describes the relevant aspect of the focal area and includes eligibility
criteria:
OP
14: Operational Program for Reducing and Eliminating Releases of
POPs into the Environment
Publications
Managing
Chemicals - Sustaining Livelihoods. UNDP and Management fo Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Ozone-Depleting Substances and Other Chemicals
(2005)
UNDP-GEF
Guidance: POPs Resource Kit
UNDP-GEF Project Sites
Action
Plan Training/Skills Building for 25 Least Developed Countries to
Assist with National Implementation Plan Development under the Stockholm
Convention
Demonstration
of Viability and Removal of Barriers that Impede Adoption and Effective
Implementation of Available, Non-Combustion Technologies for Destroying
POPs
POPs Sites
UNEP-GEF
POPs Site
World
Bank POPs Site
UNIDO
POPs Site |
