This IMEAP project by IndyACT, an environmental NGO based in Lebanon, describes the extensive awareness-raising activities undertaken by the organisation to facilitate the rapid ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. IndyACT held civil society workshops, engaged with high level government officials and generated extensive media activities to promote ratification of the Mercury Treaty.
Jordanian NGO Land and Human to Advocate Progress (LHAP) conducted a range of mercury monitoring and awareness-raising activities to sensitize the public and key stakeholders to the dangers of mercury pollution and the need to ratify the Mercury Treaty. The activities were conducted within the overall framework of a development of an initial Country Mercury Situation Report to help inform the national enabling activities process in the lead-up to ratification.
This report by Pro-biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU) describes a project carried out in the capital city of Kampala. The main objective of the project was to raise public awareness about the Minamata Convention on Mercury as well as on general mercury pollution. The project successfully convened a joint stakeholder dialogue for technocrats from the sectors of mining, health, environment, water and industry, as well as Members of Parliament and representatives from civil society, to raise awareness on mercury pollution and the need to accelerate Treaty ratification.
This project by Taller Ecologista focuses on the main sources of environmental release of mercury in Argentina based on documented sources and interviews with officials. The report focuses on a mercury contaminated site caused by releases from a chlor-alkali industry facility. This site is near the city of Cinco Saltos, Rio Negro Province, where interviews with former workers and authorities were conducted. Similarly, interviews were held with various officials in different ministries to accelerate the process of ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The Bangladesh-based Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) has completed a comprehensive initial assessment of mercury sources and products containing mercury in Bangladesh to contribute to national inventory development and further the initiatives towards national ratification of the Mercury Treaty. This activity includes data gained through in-field interviews with major stakeholders in the manufacturing, industrial, health and commercial sectors as well as desktop analysis of available literature.
The Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) conducted a detailed investigation of the extent of mercury use in artisanal small scale gold mining (ASGM) sites in Mikei, Masara and Osiri in Kenya. As part of the investigation, CEJAD conducted a range of interviews and awareness-raising activities with gold miners, their associations and local authorities, related to the hazards of mercury use and alternative, mercury-free gold processing techniques.
Armenian based NGO Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) undertook a project to produce a Mercury Country Status Report for Armenia. Their investigation into mercury pollution has contributed important information to the national efforts to develop an inventory of mercury pollution sources and contaminated sites which they have been able to share with key stakeholders and the public.
“Greenwomen” Analytical Environmental Agency conducted a comprehensive awareness raising project on mercury pollution in Kazakhstan. Certain areas of Kazakhstan, such as the River Nura, the city of Temirtau and the Pavlodar chemical complex are heavily impacted by mercury contamination. As part of this activity numerous methods were employed to spread the message about mercury pollution among stakeholders including the public, NGOs, media and government.
This report summarises a comprehensive project report by NGO Arnika Association that can be accessed at http://english.arnika.org/. The project investigates the status of mercury pollution in and around industrial facilities in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region that are intentionally using mercury in their manufacturing processes (such as chlor-alkali plants).
The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental watchdog group promoting chemical safety and zero waste, conducted a market investigation between November 2014 and February 2015 to determine the availability of mercury-containing skin whitening products, particularly facial creams, in the Philippines. EcoWaste Coalition procured 355 samples of skin whitening creams from various retailers in 50 cities across the archipelago and had them analyzed for mercury content using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device.
