CZECH REPUBLIC AND ARMENIA START TO COOPERATE TO REDUCE OBSOLETE PESTICIDES DANGER
Sona Hakobyan

"Radiolur"
30.03.2010 17:30

Czech non-profit organization Arnika and Armenian Women for Health and
Healthy Environment (AWHHE) have launched a new project to help the
rural communities to implement sustainable agriculture and eliminate
the danger of chemical pollution in Ararat and Armavir regions.

The project is focused on finding of technical solutions to eliminate
several hot spots contamination by obsolete toxic pesticides caused by
their improper management and storage, including so-called persistent
organic pollutions (POPs). It will also help Armenia to implement
international Stockholm convention.

Arnika will bring its expert skills regarding the real danger of
pesticides stored in selected hot spots or being still used, and
experience with cleaning up similar burdens in the Czech Republic.

"It is necessary not only to clean-up contaminated sites, but also
to deal with the contamination responsibility, not to allow new risk
to the public health and the environment," says Jindrich Petrlik,
executive director of Toxics and Waste program of Arnika.

"Chemical contamination can debase the quality of water, soil, and
other environmental compartments. This vicious cycle of dependency
can be broken by raising awareness and promoting alternatives," says
Lilik Simonyan, expert of the AWHHE on toxic chemicals. Due to lack of
relevant information, citizens are not able to organize and fight for
their rights, which should also be addressed by the project activities.