Developing a Program for Contaminated Site Management in Low and Middle Income Countries

Contaminated sites associated with
economic growth and development and increased urbanization
pose a growing public health and environmental problem.
Emissions and discharges, particularly uncontrolled ones,
onto land can pollute the soil and the groundwater beneath,
and can also affect surface water quality and sediments in
nearby rivers and streams. This document is intended to
summarize the rationale and the major policy, regulatory,
implementation, and organizational issues involved in
creating a contaminated site program, especially for low and
middle income countries. The document offers alternatives
regarding the design and implementation of such a program.
It provides an action agenda of short- and longer-term
activities to be considered when establishing a contaminated
site program. In addition to providing some optional
approaches for the many policy and programmatic issues, the
document provides numerous references from the experience of
other country programs to draw upon in considering program
options. The document is intended to help support World Bank
staff or other international financial institutions and
assistance agencies in their dialogues with governmental
officials in low and middle income countries regarding
specific options and steps on developing or implementing
contaminated sites programs in their countries. It is also
relevant for governmental agencies in these countries
responsible for site contamination and pollution management,
land use planning, and site development at local and
national levels. The document is organized in the following
chapters: chapter one gives introduction. Chapter two is
setting policy and legislative framework which highlights
the development of policy and legislative purpose,
principles, strategy and design, and related legislation.
Chapter three is regulatory issues which presents major
topics that may be the subject of regulations by a ministry
or agency. Chapter four is contaminated site program
management which presents management, organizational, and
operational issues, including issues of coordination and
partnerships within branches of government and with other
stakeholders. Chapter five is action agenda for contaminated
site program which provides the development of an action
agenda of short- and longer-term actions to be considered in
forming a contaminated site program, including creation of a
national management plan for contaminated sites.