Botswana is a landlocked country covering 582,000kmSq. The total population is estimated at 1.4 million. About 40 % of the population live in urban or semi urban areas while the rest (60%) live in rural areas or minor settlements. The average population density is low – about 2.2/Kmsq but varying between 0.5 in the west and 6.6 in the South-East. Annual population growth has been 3.5% over the last two decades.

Altitudes range from 500 to 1,200 meters. In the North, the Okavango River drains inlands from Angola to form the Okavango Delta. In the South two thirds of Botswana are covered with the thick sand layers of the Kalahari Desert.

The main rainfall ranges from 650 mm in the North to 300 mm in the South. The wet season lasts from October to March with periodic droughts being typical.

Land use in Botswana is dominated by grazing (77%) while 17% consists of national parks and game reserves. Only 2% of the land is arable land.

The Economy is mainly depending on livestock and mining. In the rural areas, agriculture (mainly livestock) remains the main economic activity. Diamonds represent 78%, while copper, nickel and beef dominate the rest of the export value.

Along with the diversification of the national economy from diamonds, cattle farming and agriculture to industrial development, Botswana is faced with the increased contamination of the environment as a result of the use of industrial chemicals and pesticides which in addition to a potential impact on the environment may, may also lead to unacceptable human exposure through soil, air food and water. According to the 1995 Annual Economic Report, the import of chemicals to Botswana (including rubber products, but excluding fuels), constitutes 9.5% of all imports for 1995. This corresponds to 470 million Pula (about US$ 134.3 million).

In this brief paper, we shall give an overview on the current management of chemical substances in Botswana, responsibilities for the different Ministries/agencies in chemical control and the steps being taken to address the problem in Botswana.

The responsibility for the management of chemical substances in Botswana is currently dispersed amongst several ministries/agencies. This diverse responsibility has reduced the possibility for a uniform strategy in the management of chemicals. For example:

• Ministry of Health – is responsible for assessment of environmental and occupational health hazards, which includes chemicals and also give clearances for chemical licensing.
• Ministry of minerals, Energy and Water Affairs – Responsible for all environmental issues related to mining and monitoring waste water emissions from industries, municipalities and sewage treatment plants.
• Ministry of Agriculture – Responsible for pesticide use and guidance to farmers regarding pesticide applications.
• Ministry of Commerce and Industry – responsible for issuing licenses to manufacturers/importers of chemicals.
• Ministry of Labor and Home Affairs – responsible for inspection of industries etc…

Botswana has been experiencing a steady industrial growth since the 1970s. There has been an increase in the use of chemicals by members of the public, the private sector and the public service providers as well. This increase has been in specialized fields such as agriculture, where insects and unwanted weeds threatened animals and crops. Many organophosphates and organochlorines such as Malathion and Diazon were used to control all types of pests.

Insecticides such as organophosphates are commonly used for the control of infestations of parasites for domestic animals and may be applied as sprays or dips as often as twice a week in the rainy seasons. These can cause soil surface and groundwater contamination. An additional factor with the use of both insecticides and pesticides is the indiscriminate disposal of excess material that is commonly allowed to drain into the ground. Other chemical substances used are arsenical compounds, gamma BHC, which are persistent organic pollutants.

Since the 1970s aerial spraying was undertaken in the northern part of Botswana (The Okavango Delta Area) against Tsetse fly. An insecticide such as deltamethrin was diluted with volatile solvents such as paraffin and sprayed over the areas of infection. Arial spraying ceased around the 1990s, as much of the delta is now tsetse free, the possibility of residues from these chemical compounds can not be ruled out.

In large outbreaks of pests, the Plant Protection Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture organizes spraying activities. One of the major problems is that of quelea birds, which are normally sprayed with ultra – highly concentrated organophosphate insecticide in the name of Fenthion or Queleatox. The spraying is done at night when the birds have returned to the roost sites that are usually along the riverine strip close to surface water. There are likely to be spillage in the use and residual spray falling on the ground surface. The estimation is therefore that, a large percentage of the amounts sprayed do not reach their targets thereby producing potentially negative effects on human health and the environment.

Electricity transforming stations for many years have used highly toxic artificial oil; Poly- chlorinated biphenyl or PCB. This is now being phased out although still implicated in many pollution incidents.

Dry cleaners and some industries are using chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents for degreasing. These solvents can be particularly damaging to ground water quality due to their being denser than water will sink to the base of the aquifer. By dissolution in the ground water at microgram per liter concentration these solvents can cause long term contamination which is very difficult if not impossible to remediate.

Aggressive advertisement of chemical substances in the control of pests has promoted the use of chemicals even more. Unfortunately, information on the result of continuous use of chemicals or the danger of their use to life and the environment lacked behind.

With more advertisement and easily available chemical substances from retailers and street vendors, the use of chemical substances has grown to unparalleled degree in Botswana. Chemicals are found in various home packed or contained in different types of containers. This has resulted in accidental poisoning of children and adults as a result of improper storage and handling. In addition to chemical substances being improperly labeled, and the lack of information of any kind, the decanting of chemical substances in containers which are normally used to carrying edibles, has increased the risk of chemicals being consumed accidentally, especially by children.

The easy access of chemicals in Botswana has become a major concern. Although there is some legislation such as the Factory’s Act, the Public Health Act, the Water Act, the Food Control Act, etc; this has proved to be inadequate and as such, chemicals, which are banned in neighboring countries are easily passed into Botswana.

An unguided use of potentially hazardous chemicals may result in poisoning of individuals and unintended killing of non-targeted species of plants and animals. This may lead chronic environmental effects due to accumulation of chemicals and /or their residues in the environment.

In Botswana the lack of appropriate legislation for the control of imports and use of chemical substances implies that a number of chemicals which have been banned or their use being restricted due to unacceptable human and environmental toxicity are still marketed and used.

Lack of proper labeling and technical guidelines for the safe use of chemical substances (no labeling/guidelines or labeling/guidelines in languages which are not understood by the majority of the users) may lead to non-intended hazardous applications which may threaten the health of the users and the environment.

Inadequate information on the chemical substances used and produced in industries including the health and environmental properties invalidates the possibility for proper assessment of the potential impact of the emissions. In addition this will also result in an inappropriate technical basis for issuing licenses, setting emission standards and approval of emissions as well as the possibility for introducing appropriate routines for hazardous waste disposal.

Presently the management of chemical substances is divided among many stakeholders, which highly influences the possibility for building up a sufficiently skilled capacity for the assessment of the impact of chemicals on health and environment.

In view of all the above a project agreement has been signed between the Government of Botswana and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark to Support the management of Chemical substances in Botswana. The strategy for the project is as follows:

• Prepare a survey of the chemicals presently used in Botswana and assess hazards and risks in relation to humans and the environment
• Establish a chemical register system for the registration of the chemicals used in Botswana as well as develop professional capacity for sustaining and updating the register. The register will focus on the chemicals and their properties.
• Set up systems for hazard and risk evaluation, classification, labeling, packaging, sale and storage of industrial chemicals and pesticides, taking into account health and environmental aspects.
• Develop an all encompassing legislation on the management of chemicals
• Draft a national action plan and priorities in enforcement in relation to chemical substances in Botswana.
• The outputs of the project shall to the extent possible, be harmonized with existing regulatory framework in neighboring countries. This will also take consideration of any relevant SADC initiatives.
• The project will facilitate and prepare inputs for a public awareness program for the active promotion of safe handling and use of chemical substances.

To augment this project, the Department of Water Affairs in conjunction with the Danish Corporation for Environment and Development (DANCED) is carrying out a project on water quality management. One of the components of this project is to carry out a baseline study on the risks associated with the use of pesticides and to develop a monitoring program on industrial pollutants.

Botswana is in the forefront of developing strategies for the management of chemicals. The success of these initiatives is highly dependent on the coordination and collaboration of all stakeholders including neighboring countries. This is through the realization that, pollution does not recognize boundaries, as the saying goes- one man’s bread could be another man’s poison.

REFERENCES

1. Department of Water Affairs ; Protection zones for Major Aquifers, Well-fields and Dams in Botswana: 1993; Water Surveys Botswana

2. Ministry of Health; Towards a better Management of Chemical Substances in Botswana; A paper prepared on behalf of ICCCSB.1995. Environmental Health Unit.

3. Department of Water Affairs; Magnitude and Sources of Pollution in Botswana; 1990; WLPU Consultants

4. Ministry of Agriculture; Pesticides Survey Report. 1994. Mosupi et. al.

5. Botswana Government. Support To Management of Chemical Substances in Botswana, Project Document. RefM123/104-0354. DANCED. 1997.