14 May 2013

Hazardous substances are a threat to humans and the environment, says the acting deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Jimmy Opelo.

Speaking at a workshop on leather dyeing and finishing in Gaborone on May 13, Mr Opelo said the leather industry involved processes that were hazardous adding that leather became an environmental risk if not disposed accordingly.

The workshop attracted participants from Uganda, Burundi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho and the host, Botswana. Mr Opelo said the workshop aimed at sharing knowledge on technologies that could be used to help get rid of toxic substances from leather waste.

“Persistent organic pollutants need to be dealt with appropriately for the sake of the public’s health and safety, even the environment because we eat from it,” he said. He underscored the need for public education to ensure that every person saved the environment from leather pollutants.

Mr Opelo further noted that due to activities taking place around the beef sector in Botswana, there was pollution generated from the sector. He said the participants  would draw a global plan where every country would come up with a strategy that would help address the problem of leather waste globally.

He noted that a global strategy would ensure that biodiversity would not threatened by any organic waste. Mr Opelo noted that waste management was a pertinent issue worldwide and therefore needed to be addressed.

“In order to deal with waste appropriately, countries have to look at its origin so as to fight the root course of the problem,” he stressed. He further stated that there was need for education and awareness workshops in different countries to avoid disposing of leather substances into the environment. ENDS