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Radioactive Waste Threatens Central Asia
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Geneva, Switzerland, June 2009-Radioactive waste at hundreds of sites in Central Asia threatens the region with an environmental catastrophe, experts at an international forum on the issue said. More than 800 million tons of radioactive and toxic waste—a legacy of the former Soviet Union’s nuclear arsenal—sit in precarious dump sites with little oversight. In response to the ongoing hazard, the United Nations Development Programme organized the forum to develop a coordinated response with regional partners.
In Kyrgystan, for instance, radioactive dust, contaminated groundwater and toxic landslides and floods threaten more than five million people. The Central Asian nation has 92 toxic waste sites containing uranium tailings and other heavy metals. The former Soviet Union mined the uranium during the Cold War. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are also home to similar toxic sites from past mining. Due to tight governmental budgets and a lack of resources in the affected countries, the uranium tailings are at the moment loosely contained in dams and ponds. The dangerous sites are also poorly guarded, creating an inviting opportunity in an economically distressed region. Some locals visit the old mines in search of scrap and also use the flat squares covering tailing sites as grazing areas for livestock. Adding to the dangers, earthquakes are also common in the region. An earthquake or related landslide or mudslide could send the uranium waste into groundwater supplies and river basins. “Many more are likely to suffer if uranium contamination moves downstream to other areas,” Ms. Clark said. To prevent such a natural disaster from occurring, the UNDP has initiated an ongoing effort to resolve the problem. As part of that process, representatives from Central Asia, international organizations, donor groups and the diplomatic corps met in Geneva and developed three concrete measures to address the challenge: · Strengthening regulations in affected countries and assisting them in addressing the problem · Bolstering community development, including both containment of toxic waste and economic, ecological and social development · Soliciting partnerships with private businesses to bring in investments and to explore opportunities to find an economic opportunity for the tailings Representatives at the forum included participants from the UNDP, OSCE, the European Commission, EurAsEC, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the governments of Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia among others. Delegates also met in Kyrgystan in April to work on the issue. “We now have real momentum towards a multilateral approach to dealing with the problem,” Miroslav Jenca, special representative of the UN Secretary General to Central Asia, said. |
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"As most of the uranium tailings sites are located in densely populated and natural-disaster prone areas of Central Asia’s largest river basins, they represent a major potential risk to the region’s water supply and the health of millions of people,” UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said in a statement.
