Bangladesh faces high costs due to upstream pollution: Experts

Downstream countries like Bangladesh are paying high prices due to continuous pollution in the adjacent marine environment, experts have said.

Although Bangladesh is among the top plastic-producing and consuming countries, it significantly contributes to marine plastic littering, accounting for 2.5 per cent of such pollution globally, according to the environment ministry.

A recent UN resolution mandated the United Nations Environment Programme to convene an International Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop and adopt a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.

The Department of Environment (DoE) organised a workshop on Sunday to review the 3rd Meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC3), styled "Integrated Approach towards Sustainable Plastics Use and Marine Litter Prevention in Bangladesh," with Director General of the DoE Abdul Hamid in the chair.

Country Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Zaki Uz Zaman also spoke at the seminar. INC Focal of Bangladesh and Deputy Secretary Md Mazedul Islam and Deputy Director of DoE Abdullah Al Mamun presented the keynote.

In their keynote presentation, they said under these circumstances, Bangladesh suggest including the definition of “downstream developing countries," along with a dedicated funding stream and a significant exemption period for these countries to fulfill waste management targets.

Speakers also emphasised the need to manage plastic properly to prevent diseases caused by microplastics and urged against the indiscriminate burning of plastic to avoid air pollution.

The third meeting of INC (INC-3) was recently held in Nairobi, Kenya.

A Bangladesh delegation attending the meeting reiterated that downstream countries are compelled to manage the cumulative plastic loads coming from upstream countries and that the zero draft failed to address this issue.

They added that it is already proven that the intentional, unintentional, or accidental release of plastics into international rivers by upstream countries devastatingly impacts the human health and ecosystems of downstream countries.

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