Bhupendra Devkota , PhD NPC for MIA January 8, 2019

1. Government of NepalMinistry of Forests and Environment Enabling Activities to conduct Minamata Convention Initial Assessment (MIA) in NepalInventory of Mercury Releases in Nepal BhupendraDevkota, PhD NPC for MIA January 8, 2019

2. Background • Government of Nepal signed the Minamata Convention on October 10, 2013. • Nepal is in process of ratification of Minamata Convention: identified the need for preparing an inventory of mercury used and released (e.g., emissions and releases) in the country. • The mercury inventory was initiated in March 2018. For the inventory, data and information available for the base year 2016/17 (2073/74 BS Nepali calendar year) were collected to use as activity data. • Mercury release inventory for the Government of Nepal was made using the "Toolkit for identification and quantification of mercury releases, Level 1", made available by the Chemicals Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment Chemicals). http://web.unep.org/chemicalsandwaste/what-we-do/technology-and-metals/mercury/toolkit-identification-and-quantification-mercury-releases

3. Methodology • Training on MIA UNEP toolkits and Identification of Mercury source by stakeholders participants • Formation of working groups ( 3 groups- Industrial sector, waste and contaminated sites sector and health and education sector) • Meetings : Steering committee and Working Groups • Data collection/ field visit and interactions with stakeholders • Data entry in UNEP toolkits • Data analysis and inventory report preparation • Policy, regulatory and Institutional assessment • MIA Report

4. Mercury release source types and sub-categories present in Nepal • Energy Consumption (5/9) • Other coal uses • Combustion/use of petroleum coke and heavy • Combustion/use of diesel, gasoil, petroleum, kerosene, LPG • Biomass fired power and heat production • Charcoal combustion • Fuel Production (0/3) • No • Primary Metal Production(0/9) • No • Other Material Production(2/2) • Cement Production • Pulp and Paper Production • Production of Chemicals (0/3) • No • Production of products with mercury content (0/8) • No

5. Mercury release source types and sub-categories present in Nepal • Laboratory chemicals • Other laboratory and medical equipment with mercury • Production of recycled of metals (1/2) • Production of recycled ferrous metals (iron and steel) • Use and disposal of products with mercury content (7/12) • Thermometers • Light sources with mercury • Medical blood pressure gauges (mercury sphygmomanometers) • Medical blood pressure gauges (mercury sphygmomanometers) • Other manometers and gauges with mercury

6. Mercury release source types and sub-categories present in Nepal • Waste deposition/landfilling and wastewater treatment (3/3) • Controlled landfills/deposits • Informal dumping of general waste • Wastewater system/treatment • Crematoria and Cemeteries (2/2) • Crematoria • Cemeteries • Waste incineration (3/5) • Incineration of hazardous waste • Incineration / burning of medical waste • Open fire waste burning (on landfills and informally)

7. Mercury release source types and sub-categories present in Nepal • Miscellaneous (8/28) • Combustion of peat • Production of lime • Gold Plating • Educational Use • Mercury use in religious rituals • Mercury used in traditional medicines (ayurvedic and others) and homeopathic medicine • Pigments • Fireworks

8. Source Groups with Sub-Categories contributing to Mercury Release

9. Source Groups with Sub-Categories contributing to Mercury Release

10. Source Groups with Sub-Categories contributing to Mercury Release

11. Source Groups with Sub-Categories contributing Mercury Release Note : Miscellaneous data is not summed up in total summary table as UNEP toolkits has not included its sub-categories sources

12. Gold Plating Enterprises in Nepal • Gold plating is one among traditional enterprises practiced by the ethnic Newar community, since long in the Kathmandu Valley • 12,825 Kg of mercury is released into the environment per annum from this business • No control measure to contain mercury release/emission undertaken • Self made chimneys are not effective • Thus, high risk of mercury exposure to workers and people living in the immediate vicinity of such activities. Photo : Prajjwal Raut

13. Mercury Dental Amalgam in Nepal • Used in both health and education sectors in Nepal • 114 KgMercury input annually from dental amalgam in Nepal. • Additionally, 28.5 Kg of Mercury released from Dental Colleges during academic exercises. • Poor mercury containing waste management practices in Dental Hospital, clinics and dental colleges. • Safe and Mercury free dental filling alternatives are available widely in Nepal. Needs to be promoted. Photo: Ram C Sah

14. Use and disposal of products with mercury content • Large number of mercury based equipment such as thermometers, Light source with mercury, Medical blood pressure gauge and chemicals still being imported, used and haphazardly disposed. • 2476 Kg of mercury is being released from use and disposal of these products.

15. Informal Municipal Waste dumping and burning in Nepal • Informal dumping and burning of Municipal waste is one of major environmental issue in Nepal • Informal dumping of waste generates about 931 Kg while informal burning of waste release 998 Kg of mercury annually • Hazardous waste generated from health care and industries were mixed and dumped together with MSW Photo : Santosh Shrestha

16. Mercury release in Environment

17. Summary of mercury inventory results

18. Summary of Mercury Inventory results

19. Policy, Regulatory and Institutional Assessment

20. Minamata Convention and its Articles relevant to Nepal (MIA process) • A-3 Mercury supply source and trade • A-4 Mercury added products • A-5 Manufacturing processes in which mercury or mercury compounds are used • A-6 Exemptions available to a Party upon request • A-7 Artisanal and small-scale gold mining • A-8 Emissions • A-9 Release • A-10 Environmentally sound interim storage of mercury other than waste mercury • A-11 Mercury wastes • A-12 Contaminated Sites • A-13 Financial resources and mechanism • A-14 Capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer • A-15 Implementation and Compliance Committee • A-16 Health aspects • A-17 Information Exchange

21. Minamata Convention and its Articles Contd.. • A-18 Public information, awareness and education • A-19 Research, development and monitoring • A-20 Implementation Plan • A-21 Reporting • A-22 Effectiveness Evaluation • A-23 Conference of Parties • A-24 Secretariat • A-25 Settlement of disputes • A-26 Amendments to the Convention • A- 27 Adoption and amendment of annexes • A- 28 Right to vote • A-29 Signature • A-30 Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession • A-31 Entry into force • A -32 Reservations • A-33 Withdrawal • A-34 Depository • A- 35 Authentic texts

22. Minamata Convention: Relevant Policies and Institutions in Nepal

23. Minamata Convention: Relevant Policies and Institutions in Nepal

24. Minamata Convention: Relevant Policies and Institutions in Nepal

25. Minamata Convention: Relevant Policies and Institutions in Nepal

26. Minamata Convention: Relevant Policies and Institutions in Nepal

27. Minamata Convention: Policy Recommendations for Nepal • Ministry of Health and Population's circular on banning import, purchase and uses of mercury containing equipment should be effectively implemented by making it mandatory through gazette notification. (Article- 4) • Incinerator standards should be effectively implemented and periodic stack emission monitoring should be carried out; open burning of all kind of wastes should be prohibited. (Article- 8) • Hazardous Waste incineration plant with suitable technology should be installed and such plant should comply with the given national standard. (Article- 8) • The stack emission limits of the mercury should be established for the cement clinker production industries and the quality of pet coke (lowest concentration of mercury) should be ascertained. Mercury emission inventory for all cement clinker production industries should be developed. (Article- 8)

28. Minamata Convention: Policy Recommendations for Nepal 5. The best available technology should be introduced to control mercury emission and release, focusing on gold plating activity. (Articles - 8 & 9) 6. Detail inventory of hazardous wastes should be prepared and environment friendly managements of different types of such wastes should be carried out. (Articles – 11 & 19) 7. Sites contaminated by mercury, its wastes and compounds within the country should be identified. Regulatory system should include the provision of penalizing individuals or institutions responsible for contaminating local environments by emitting or releasing mercury waste and its compounds. (Article - 12) 8. Institutional capacity should be strengthened for an effective public information and awareness raising on hazardous waste management. (Articles - 14 & 18)

29. Minamata Convention: Policy Recommendations for Nepal 9. Technical and medical education system of Nepal should focus on mercury free theory, practical and examination system. For this, the curricula of medical, dental, general sciences and schools (BDS, MBBS, MDS, MD, and General Sciences) should be updated and improved by avoiding the use of mercury and mercury compounds academic and research sectors. (Articles – 16 & 18) 10. Right to information and occupational safety and health provided by the Constitution and other legislations should be ascertained. (Articles – 16, 17 & 18) 11. Curricula of secondary and higher level education should include hazardous waste management, including management of mercury and its wastes. (Article - 18)

30. Minamata Convention: Institutional Recommendations for Nepal • Relevant ministries should develop policy, laws or issue gazette notification to ban manufacture, import, and export of products listed in Part I of Annex A (Mercury based Medical equipment’s, e.g. Thermometer , Sphygmomanometer, etc.) and departments and academia, including schools, colleges and research institutes, should implement decisions made to manufacture, import, use and export of such products and phase down or even phase out the use of dental amalgam. (Articles - 4, 16 & 18) • Department of Drug Administration should help, facilitate and even effectively implement the standards on mercury in Ayurvedic medicine, and do the periodic monitoring of the mercury in Ayurvedic medicines. (Article- 16) • Academia and research institutes including laboratories should be strengthened to generate the information on the significance of mercury and its adverse impacts on the environment and human health and share it. (Articles - 18 &19)

31. Minamata Convention: Institutional Recommendations for Nepal 4. Capacity of responsible human resources in concerned agencies and stakeholders, including in academic institutions and NGOs, should be built. (Art 14) 5. Concerned agencies should carry out regular monitoring of mercury, mercury based chemicals, products and practices and associated release and emission to air, water and land. (Article- 19) 6. Populations (health care professionals, patients using Ayurvedic medicines, handcraft and gold plating workers, fish, fisher communities, hotelier, jewelers, laboratory personnel, person engaged in standardization and calibration of mercury based equipment) at risk due to exposure to mercury should be identified, regularly monitored, level of mercury exposure should be determined . (Article -16, 19)

32. Minamata Convention: Institutional Recommendations for Nepal 7. Local and provincial governments should be strengthened for the construction of sewerage and waste water treatment facilities to reduce mercury release into the environment. (Article - 9) 8. Hazardous waste management policy, regulations, plans and programs at central, provincial and local levels need to be developed and implemented. (Article - 11) 9. Detail study on situation of hazardous wastes and their management, especially substances containing mercury or consisting of or contaminated with mercury or products, should be carried out by concerned agencies. (Article - 18) 10. Institutional strengthening policy of the Government should focus on retaining the institutional memory and human resources capacitated in this sector with right capacity in the right position, ultimately contributing in the effective implementation of the convention. (Article - 14)

33. Thank you for your interest & patience !!!!