World BankCanada,

Persistent Organic Pollutants,

and the

P r o g r e s s I m P l e m e n t I n g t h e C a n a d I a n P o P s t r u s t F u n d

Photo credits: p. 1: S. Maber; pgs. 3, 5, 9: E. Tynan; all others courtesy of the World Bank Photo Library.

QUiCk FACTSEstablishEd

2000

Original fundingCan$20 million

numbEr Of prOjEcts fundEd88 total: 42 through the World Bank and 46

through United Nations Enviornment Programme -Chemicals Branch

lEvEragEd prOjEct financing (in us$) Over US$220 million

trustEE and implEmEnting agEncyThe World Bank: 2000-present

ExEcuting agEncy:UNEP Chemicals: 2000-2006

rEgiOns cOvErEdAfrica, Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin

America and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, and Middle East and North Africa

numbEr Of cOuntriEs cOvErEdOver 25, plus global and regional projects

fund clOsurE datEDecember 31, 2008

�

The Canadian POPs Trust Fund

(CPTF) was established with the

World Bank in March 2000 to

support capacity building to

reduce or eliminate the release

of POPs in developing countries

and countries with economies in

transition (CEITs). The CPTF focuses

on providing financial support for

projects implemented through

and under the auspices of the

World Bank in order to provide the

technical expertise, knowledge

and access to technology that is

necessary to encourage and equip

developing countries and CEITs to

build their own capacity to address

POPs issues.

Since its inception, the Canadian

POPs Trust Fund has financed

projects, studies, and capacity

building efforts on a wide range

of POPs issues, including: blood

monitoring, dioxins and furans, risk

assessment, and obsolete POPs

pesticide management. The CPTF

has now funded projects in over

25 countries in every region of

the world—both in developing

countries and CEITs.

In the early stages, the CPTF

funded baseline work to help

governments understand the

possible impact of the Stockholm

Convention in their countries to

help them make an informed

decision on signing and ratifying

the Convention. Currently, the

Fund helps countries undertake

the priority actions identified in

their National Implementation

Plans. The CPTF has been a

valuable tool through each phase

of countries’ work on helping to

rid the globe of persistent organic

pollutants.

Fighting Persistent Organic Pollutants

2

The CPTF finances projects that

provide technical expertise,

knowledge and access to the

technology needed to reduce or

eliminate the presence of POPs in

developing countries and CEITs.

The priorities for the CPTF are:

�. Building public support

for ratification and

implementation of the

Stockholm Convention

2. Increasing the capacity

for integrated chemical

management

3. Assisting analytical laboratory

capacity and training in target

countries

4. Strengthening the

participation of appropriate

stakeholders in implementing

the Stockholm Convention

5. Assessing the needs of national

authorities to undertake

preliminary inventories of PCBs,

dioxin and furan sources, and

obsolete pesticides

6. Guiding and supporting

activities to develop National

Profiles and National Action

Plans (NAPs) for the Stockholm

Convention

7. Helping countries develop

and execute National

Implementation Plans

8. Mentoring and exchanging

scientific knowledge to

strengthen national capacity

to meet obligations under the

Stockholm Convention

9. Increasing awareness of

obsolete stockpiles and their

effects on human health and

the environment

�0. Providing guidance on the

identification, management,

and disposal of polychlorinated

biphenyl (PCB)

��. Building capacity to develop

a common understanding of

and position on best available

technologies and best

environmental practices

�2. Addressing and reducing the

production of dioxins and

furans through uncontrolled

combustion and open

burning—helping develop

national dioxin (PCDD) and

furan (PCDF) action plans

�3. Supporting the Global

Monitoring Program and

strengthening national

infrastructure and capacity to

contribute to it

�4. Supporting the development

of Integrated Pest Management

(IPM) and Integrated Vector

Management (IVM) to reduce

and phase out the use of POPs

for disease vector control

Supporting the Stockholm Convention

3

In 2006, CIDA commissioned an

independent evaluation by Baastel

Consulting of the Canadian POPs

Trust Fund. The evaluation showed

that the CPTF has significant

positive impacts and that those

impacts went beyond the goals

of the original program strategy

of capacity building. The most

significant impacts were seen

in terms of: removal of capacity

barriers, but the evaluation also

revealed impacts in terms of

research on, and implementation

of, sustainable alternatives, and

even in terms of reduction of POPs

production and emissions.

The evaluation report goes on

to say “… [the CPTF’s] catalytic

effect, through numerous follow-

on projects approved with funding

from other donors, will multiply the

impacts.” The evaluation report also

found indirect positive impacts

for poverty alleviation given the

improved quality of environment

and life for poor people as a result

of the Fund’s project work.

With these positive results in hand

and with other lessons learned

through the evaluation process,

CIDA and the World Bank worked

together to re-work and extend

the Fund to make it as effective

a tool as possible for the last two

years of implementation.

Progress and Effectiveness

“… [the CPTF’s] catalytic effect,

through numerous follow-on

projects approved with funding

from other donors, will multiply

the impacts.”

4

China: POPs Alternatives for Termite Control—completed March 2005

Chlordane and mirex—both toxic

to humans—were the principal

chemicals for termite prevention

and control since their introduction

to China in �964 and �979,

respectively. Their effectiveness,

persistence, low cost, and ease

of application have lead to their

widespread use and contributed to

the fact that termite management in China relies heavily on chemical methods. Although more modern termiticides with lower toxicity have been used in recent years, chlordane and mirex-based regulations and termite management approaches remain central to the Chinese termite

control industry and regulations.

This US$250,000 study examined

alternatives to mirex and

chlordane and ultimately helped

China identify integrated pest

management as the preferred

alternative to chemical-based

termite control. The study

developed an IPM strategy

framework (or IPM tool box) for

the termite control industry, which

is flexible enough to be adjusted

to fit the specific needs in each

of the demonstration provinces.

The work was completed in 2003

and the final reports issued in

2005. The work fed directly into

the preparation of a large Global

Environment Facility (GEF) project

to demonstrate these alternative

approaches in three provinces with

among the highest production and

consumption of chlordane and

mirex. The total project is valued

at over US$28 million with support

from the GEF and China.

Africa region: Africa Stockpiles Programme—CPTF components completed December 2003

Obsolete pesticides are a

serious problem throughout

What Has CPTF Supported?The CPTF has financed a wide-range of POPs projects ranging from baseline studies and blood monitoring work to testing of POPs alternatives for termite control. This section provides examples of completed, on-going, and planned projects.

5

the world, but in Africa, the

problem is especially extensive

with at least 50,000 tonnes of

obsolete pesticides and grossly

contaminated soils scattered

throughout its 53 countries. The

CPTF provided early and key

support to the development of

the Africa Stockpiles Programme

(ASP)—a twelve to fifteen year

program aimed at cleaning up

these obsolete stocks throughout

Africa and building capacity to

prevent their re-accumulation.

The CPTF supported the

development of the program with

a grant to support and ensure the

involvement of a wide range of

African stakeholders in the program

design; and a grant to ensure

that the program was developed

to the highest levels of national

and international environmental

compliance and with a well-

developed program for monitoring

and evaluation. Both of these

projects were invaluable in ensuring

that the ASP was developed to

meet the needs of Africa and

in line with the Stockholm and

other international conventions.

The support of approximately

US$350,000 helped lead to the

approval of the ASP by the GEF

and other bilateral donors for over

US$60 million.

Peru: POPs and Hazardous Pesticides in Andean Farming Communities—completed July 2006

In the Peru project, the

International Potato Center (CIP)

conducted research focusing on

obsolete stocks of POPs pesticides

as well as their possible current

use and trade. In addition, the

study looked more generally at the

use and knowledge of pesticides

among farmers, focusing particular

attention to highly toxic pesticides

as well as specifically examining

farmer knowledge on POPs and the

environmental and health impacts

of pesticides. The research was

done in five areas of the country

previously selected as hotspots.

6

Colombia: Pilot Study - Technical assistance for the remediation of POPs-contaminated sites and for the determination of associated incremental costs

The CPTF grant of US$226,200

is being used to support a pilot

study on costing of remediation

techniques for contaminated

sites in conjunction with the

development of Colombia’s

National Implementation Plan.

More specifically, the Pilot

Study will: �) provide a detailed

assessment of the extent of

contamination at the sites; and 2)

conduct an economic assessment

of potential remediation

technologies that could be used

at the sites. Based on information

from inventories and baseline

studies of POPs in Colombia, three

contaminated sites have been

identified and work is on-going.

The project is expected to be

completed in December 2007.

Global: Sharing Results of the Categorization of 23,000 chemicals

Developing countries often lack the

knowledge of existing chemicals

and their impact on environmental

and human health, which in turn

can limit their ability to implement

sound chemical management,

including the principles of the

Stockholm Convention. To help

remedy this problem, the project

The study found some obsolete

stocks of POPs, no POPs pesticides

being actively traded in the

hotspots. However it did find

that farmers still responded

favorably to previously-used

POPs (e.g., Aldrin) and that non-

POPs may be sold as such. The

study also showed that farmers

lack technical knowledge about

using pesticides—all hotspots

featured extensive use of highly

toxic pesticides (la and lb), farmers

used minimal protection and had

little knowledge of pesticide risks,

and most farmers had very little

knowledge of integrated pest

management (IPM).

The study led the CPTF to approve

a larger follow-on project for part

of the Andean region—Ecuador,

Peru and Bolivia. The project will

begin to address these issues by

promoting IPM and safe pesticide

handling to ensure that any future

POPs pesticides—including new

POPs and illegally traded ones—

will not find a “home” in the region.

The project not only supports

the goals of the Stockholm

Convention, but the larger

goals of the Strategic Approach

to International Chemicals

Management (SAICM) as well.

Current and Planned CPTF investments

7

aims to share the results of the

recent Canadian categorization

of 23,000 existing chemicals in

commerce against environment

and human health criteria.This

CPTF-funded project will finance:

�) a toolkit explaining the approach

and results of the Canadian

chemical categorization and a

subsequent initiative to determine

screening assessment requirements

in a format convenient for

developing countries; 2) a guidance

document on how the chemical

categorization and subsequent

screening assessment requirements

can be applied to strengthening

chemicals profiles and inventories

in developing countries; and 3 )

a policy analysis document that

explores how the categorization

results and subsequent screening

assessment requirements can

be used to inform integrated

chemical management policies and

programs in developing countries.

All documents will be packaged

and disseminated through the

Inter-Organization for the Sound

Management of Chemicals (IOMC)

to the Stockholm Convention,

SAICM and other appropriate fora.

Vietnam: Categorization of PCB-Contaminated Equipment and Media and Assessment of PCB Management and Disposal Options

The US$250,000 project will be

implemented in conjunction

with the development of a

US$�3.7 million GEF project on

PCB management and disposal.

The CPTF project focuses on: �)

expanding the geographical and

technical coverage of a planned

GEF PCB project beyond the

demonstration phase; 2) advancing

the implementation of key

activities that are critical to design

of the demonstration projects

and the replication strategy/

national PCB management

strategy; and 3) increasing the

participation of other stakeholders

in the preparation process.

These are critical to a design of a

comprehensive long-term national

PCB management strategy and

action plan for Vietnam, which is

one of the outputs of the GEF-

funded activity, as well as the

ultimate goal of the Government

of Vietnam in establishing the

means to meet its obligations

under the Stockholm Convention.

8

Moldova: Remediation of POPs Pesticides Polluted Areas and Clean-Up of PCB-contaminated Sites

The goal of the project will be

to build national capacity to

identify and implement cost-

efficient technical solutions for

remediation of areas polluted

with POPs pesticides and clean-up

PCB-contaminated oil from power

equipment.

The project will: �) identify

different remediation techniques

for areas polluted with POPs

pesticides, taking into account

technical, financial, and economic

aspects, to assess their potential

environmental/health benefits and

impacts and to implement them

on few selected sites; 2) identify

the most feasible technique for

decontaminating oils containing

PCBs, taking into account

technical, financial and economic,

environmental, and health aspects

and to test it on one to two power

transformer(s); and 3) provide

information dissemination and

training activities for site owners,

equipment stakeholders, and

others.

Mozambique: Pilot Study on Resistance Monitoring Program and Resistance Mapping/Decision Tool for Malaria Control

This project will pilot a Resistance

Monitoring and Mapping tool

(RMM) for Malaria Control in three

provinces to improve the efficacy

of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS)

in Mozambique while building

capacity within the government

to address its obligations under

the Stockholm Convention. In

addition, the project will support

the Vector and Environmental

Management Plans for two larger

health initiatives by limiting

humans and environmental

exposure to a variety of

chemicals—including DDT—by

enhancing the ability to target

pesticide applications for malaria

control and better management

of chemical use, handling, and

storage.

Canada and PoPspOps are a significant concern for canada. the majority of pOps entering canada’s environment come from foreign sources, carried through long-range transport by atmospheric and ocean currents. pOps are deposited and accumulate in canada’s ecosystems - in the north, in freshwater and marine ecosystems and in alpine regions. pOps are adversely impacting the health and environment of canadians, especially aboriginal northerners consuming traditional foods.

canada has played a leadership role in pOps, both domestically and internationally, including in development and implementation of the stockholm convention. canada was the first country to sign and ratify the new treaty in may 2001. by establishing the canada pOps fund in 2000, canada was the first country to provide significant new resources to help developing countries and countries with economies in transition develop the capacity needed to effectively manage pOps and implement their obligations under the convention.

canada will continue to take actions to further reduce releases of pOps and to deal with emerging chemical issues.

Agence canadienne dedéveloppement international

Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency

THE World Bank

1818 H Street, NWWashington, DC 20433, USA

www.worldbank.org

Photo credits: p. 1: S. Maber; pgs. 3, 5, 9: E. Tynan; all others courtesy of the World Bank Photo Library.