IPEN SEA Snapshots April 2020

SEA POs in the Time of COVID-19

IPEN checked in on how partners in the region are doing in this time of pandemic through an online survey. 15 POs from 8 countries in the region participated in the survey. The work of the majority of the respondents has been affected because of containment and physical distancing measures taken in the country. POs' annual plans and financial inflows would be affected. Most PO staff are working from home and activities have slowed down especially fieldwork, workshops, and fora. The majority are still able to access the internet using wifi and emails to stay connected. While there are no direct security threats to the POs, it is feared that in some areas COVID-19 policies might be used to suppress people's activities and the right to protest against government action. The poor and marginalized groups in rural and urban areas are most vulnerable in this time of pandemic. All respondents see the link of the crisis with their work, and most are trying to address issues related to the pandemic, while also reflecting on the implications to the organizations' long-term work. IPEN could better support the POs through information sharing, capacity-building via webinars, and funding support for COVID-19 and environmental health work of the POs. All are doing well and trying their best to cope, updating themselves with the national and international pandemic situation particularly the effects on vulnerable groups, while finding ways to help those in need.

Below are some of the actions of POs addressing various health and environmental issues that have emerged related to COVID-19.

REUSABLES FOR TAKEAWAY. Greeners Action in Hong Kong is calling for the public to bring their own reusable containers for takeaway food. A survey conducted by the group in April revealed that the volume of single-use plastics used for takeaways during the pandemic is 2.2 times more than the figure last year.

STOP LARGE-SCALE SPRAYING OF DISINFECTANTS. EcoWaste Coalition urged Philippine local government units to heed the advice by health experts against the spraying of large areas with disinfectants to kill the novel coronavirus as it may even cause harm instead of protecting human health and the environment. The country's Department of Health has said "spraying or misting cause pathogens to be displaced further during spraying, result in skin irritation and inhalation of chemicals, and cause environmental pollution".

PROBLEMATIC MEDICAL WASTE BURNING. During the peak of the COVID-19 plague in China, Toxics-Free Corps made a factsheet on the unsatisfactory performance of medical waste incineration in China in response to the dramatically increased medical waste burning in many places. The material is written in Chinese and can be accessed here.

FLATTENING THE CURVE WEBINAR. IDIS organized a webinar on how waste is being managed in Davao City, one of the biggest cities in the Philippines, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The online forum also discussed how medical waste is being disposed, the situation of waste pickers, and updates on the single-use plastic regulation in the city. Watch the discussions here.

GUARD AGAINST MEDICAL WASTE BURNING. ECOTON and Nexus3 warned against burning of increasing medical waste in Indonesia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing detrimental effects to people's health and the environment. The groups also recommended on alternative actions that could be taken.

RETHINK DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM. In its 2020 Earth Day message, CAP emphasized the need to rethink prevailing development paradigms to avert future crises due to environmental mismanagement. They said the current crisis reveals "that our current economic and development model continues to be unsustainable with negative consequences not only on our quality of life but threatens our continued existence on earth . . . We can no longer view the environment and ecology as side issues but must make them the centre of decision-making if we are to prevent future calamities that result in catastrophic economic and health impacts." Read their full statement here.

Across the Region

DENIED. Last March, the Fukuoka High Court declined to recognize eight plaintiffs as sufferers of Minamata disease, rejecting their demand for damages from the government and the Chisso Corp., which caused the pollution. Yukimi Kumamoto, shown above, is one of the plaintiffs from the Minamata Disease Victims’ Mutual Aid Society. Yoichi Tani, Director General of the group said they will continue the fight and appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

WASTE TRADE IN THE PHILIPPINES. EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace Philippines co-published a report last March on Waste Trade in the Philippines. The report also contains useful information on the influx of plastic waste in the ASEAN region including how countries are fighting back.

CONTAMINATED ERASERS IN CHINA. A new research released in April by Shenzhen-based Toxics-Free Corps found that many of the erasers available in the market in mainland Chinese contain a toxic substances that pose hazards to children's health. Phthalic acid esters (PAEs), a kind of plasticizer, was found in many of the samples and the level was way beyond the voluntary standards that have been set.