Leaded gasoline is the greatest single source of human exposure to lead. The health impacts of lead are serious, affecting the mental and physical development of children and causing elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, neurological and kidney disease among adults. While over 80% of the gasoline sold worldwide is now lead-free, Africa remains the exception. Switching quickly to unleaded gasoline is seen as a first step towards reducing air pollution in Africa, thereby improving the health and quality of life of millions, particularly the urban poor who suffer disproportionate exposure to air pollutants.
As part of the regional Clean Air Initiative, a Conference on the Phase-Out of Leaded Gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa was organized by the World Bank and held at the Meridien President Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, from June 26 to June 28, 2001.
The specific objectives of the regional conference were to:
1- Raise awareness about the health impacts of leaded gasoline and build consensus among the main stakeholders on the technical, regulatory, institutional, economic issues and the priorities for implementing lead phase-out programs.
2- Develop action plans to phase-out leaded gasoline with a timetable and monitoring indicators.
The Conference was attended by almost 200 participants from 25 different countries, representing a diverse range of national and local government bodies, research and academic institutions, NGOs and international organizations.
Three full days of presentations covered issues including the health, environmental, and economic impacts of using leaded gasoline, and the main features of technical, financial, regulatory and policy strategies required to help implement leaded gasoline phase-out. Several successful leaded gasoline phase-out experiences in Latin America and Asia were presented.
Gasoline supply in Sub-Saharan Africa is provided by local refineries and complemented by imports. This pattern of supply can be subdivided into five geographical sub-regions, each dominated by key refinery centers (highlighted in the text below). A working group was formed for each of the five sub-regions, and discussion time allotted, with the aim of formulating action plans to phase out leaded gasoline from the region.
West Africa: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone
Nigeria and Neighboring Countries: Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Togo
West Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe
Southern Africa: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
East Africa: Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Ugand
Consensus emerged on:
- The negative impact of lead, with children being the most affected
- The urgent need to phase-out leaded gasoline
- The need for cooperation at the sub-regional level, including harmonization of technical specifications
- The need for collaboration with the petroleum and automobile industries
- The lack of additional technical constraints for existing vehicles The need for an overall implementation strategy (technical, institutional, financial and public information).
The key result of the conference was the formulation of a Declaration, agreed to by all parties (see document), which states that leaded gasoline will be completely phased out in all Sub-Saharan African countries as soon as possible, and by 2005 at the latest.
Action Plans: Sub-regional working groups : Each sub-regional group produced a preliminary "action plan" for lead phase-out. Each region - determined by the configuration of its gasoline supply - submitted technical steps and specific timetables for phase-out. Although the depth of recommendations varied, all regions agreed that full lead phase-out by 2005 was feasible. As a result the 'Declaration of Dakar' was produced and signed by all parties in attendance. The challenge will lie in the acceptance of such plans by national governments, and effective implementation in line with the agreed timetable.
Network Creation: The creation of the AFRICACLEAN network of air quality practitioners (at all levels) both throughout the region and internationally occurred as a result of the conference. The diversity of participants indicated the very high level of interest in air quality management issues, and the formation of such a network was highlighted as one of the key components of the Initiative in the region.
Knowledge Management: The initial announcement regarding the Initiative and the conference reached over 400 potential participants, itself raising awareness of the issues across the region. A video and CD-ROM were produced prior to the event, detailing the issues and concerns regarding leaded fuels and lead phase-out. Many background documents were prepared in both English and French for all participants.
A series of actions are required to move lead phase-out forward and to develop both the network and governance mechanism:
- Action Plans: sub-regional working groups established. World Bank to monitor progress & development, disseminate early success stories
- Awareness Campaign: a coherent campaign from a variety of partners. The World Bank will provide a central function via the website www.worldbank.org/cleanair etc.
- Databank: much more information is required to effectively implement lead phase-out. It is envisaged that the input of the petroleum industry here is key.
- Regional Conference: a follow-up conference will be held at the "Rio + 10" event in Durban, South Africa, September 2002
- Strengthening Partnerships: partnerships between regional & international organizations and networks, national and local governments, the private sector will be strengthened.
|
