230 tonnes of Persistent Organic Pollutants eliminated at the stockpile in Ialguja. April 2014. Photo: Vladimer Valishvili/UNDP na
After signing the Stockholm Convention in 2001 and ratifying it five years later, Georgia has accepted an obligation to limit the release of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and eliminate the waste that contains these harmful chemical substances. POPs are resistant to biodegradation and can easily bio-accumulate. They are transported through air and water across international boundaries. POPs pose a significant risk to human health and the environment. In Georgia, the stockpiles of POPs pesticide are still present in the warehouses previously owned by the state organizations and collective farms.