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My position is that Tanzania should bypass regulatory a p proaches based on end-of-pipe treatment technology a n d go straight to pollution prevention to eliminate these problems with minimum expenditures and utilization of resources. These measures will move Tanzania toward ecologically sustainable industrial development. Prevention approaches Developing countries have been slow to implement comprehensive and effective preventive environmental legislation, planning, and enforcement partly because common perception is that they cannot afford and are unfairly restricted by these measures. But this is not the case. In Brazil studies show that some industrial polluters could reduce emissions at much lower costs than others. Incentives-as opposed to rigid regulations-could have been used to exploit these differences by allowing polluters flexihility to find where and how pollution can be reduced at lowest cost (13). Industries that have introduced pollution prevention have saved raw materials and energy, decreased waste management costs, improved product quality, enhanced productivity, decreased down-time, reduced worker health risk and environmental hazards, and decreased long-term liability for the cleanup of waste materials that might otherwise have been buried (14r15). In the United States the advantages of pollution prevention over command-and-control approaches have been reviewed (16). The success stories of Dupont, Dow Chemical, and many small companies are well known (17, 18). A survey of more than 500 companies that adopted pollution prevention techniques found that each company reduced industrial wastes between 85-100% and, even more importantly, the investment payback periods were short, only three years to one month (19). Results of four industrial firms in Landskrona, Sweden, and the Prisma project in the Netherlands have shown multimedia benefits of pollution prevention approaches (20). There are few examples of pollution prevention in developing countries. Several textile mills in India have minimized water consumption, saved energy, and reduced wastes by introducing pollution prevention (21). A study of a textile mill in Tanzania showed that the
Pollution prevention policies and
laws developed
by industrialized countries are not
appropriate for the developing world. greatest pollution prevention could be obtained by adopting good “housekeeping” practices such as installing automatic shut-off valves on hoses, optimizing rinse water usage, substituting certain chemicals, and increasing the fixation rate of dyes (22).Nevertheless, there are industrial, governmental, and international obstacles to pollution prevention-in particular transfer of pollution prevention technologies-including lack of information and misconceptions about technology; suitability of technology to developing countries or to certain types or sizes of industry; limitations and cost of some technologies; lack of skilled personnel; uncertain legislative and regulatory climate; and cultural factors (23-24).The lack of technical information about pollution prevention technologies is often cited as an important obstacle to technical change. How does Tanzania overcome such barriers? Within the industries, a comprehensive environmental strategy based on pollution prevention should start by engaging employees at all levels. At the same time industries should develop a systematic pollution prevention assessment audit that contains goals and means for achieving them in short- and long-term programs. In
2082 Environ. Sci. Technol.. Vol. 26, No. 11, 1992
order to bypass financial constraints, industry should start with low- or no-cost housekeeping measures. Investment costs for pollution prevention technologies will be offset by cost savings for raw materials and emission fees. We should recognize that diffusion of pollution prevention technologies in industrialized countries is still limited (25). For example, in the United States more than 80% of pollution abatement expenditures in 1985 was for “end-of- pipe” controls (26).Even in Denmark, only about one-third of industry has adopted pollution prevention technology (27). With all the harriers and constraints mentioned, how should Tanzania and other developing countries implement pollution prevention within industries? Some suggestions follow. Guidelines for legislation The National Environmental Management Council of Tanzania in collaboration with relevant ministries could prepare legislation that is in line with pollution prevention approaches. It should be multimedia specific and flexible and incorporate industrial managers, employees, relevant authorities, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)who could stimulate endogenous capacity building for pollution prevention within industry. Promotion of pollution prevention for other sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transport should also be incorporated as a comprehensive environmental management strategy. Pollution prevention legislation and enforcement procedures must reflect national needs, capabilities, and limitations. Nontechnological factors-cultural, social, political. and economic--should be considered. In other words, pollution prevention policies or laws developed by industrialized countries are not appropriate for the developing world. Demonstration projects One objective is to implement demonstration projects of pollution prevention technology options for a selected industry, such as textiles. Such projects would develop a model of pollution prevention for other industries such as leather tanning, pulp and paper, fertilizer, and other small- to medium-sized industries, and would disseminate the findings widely to industry (28). The major thrust of the demonstration project should be to introduce
an assessment method within the industry in order to evaluate, select, and implement prevention technologies. It should also aim at enhancing the institutional and research capacities of pollution prevention within industry, government, and academia. This will give Tanzania a good base in adapting technologies, given certain conditions and constraints. Endogenous training and research capacity are necessary to develop a scientific infrastructure and to build technological capability in pollution prevention. What little training and research on pollution prevention exists is more or less focused on end-of-pipe approaches. Intensive training should be arranged for industrial managers, employees, government administrat o r s , a n d NGOs. C o u r s e s i n pollution prevention concepts. methodologies, and technologies at graduate and postgraduate levels should also be encouraged. The immediate solution regarding pollution prevention for Tanzania and the developing world is, however, not to attain scientific and technological autonomy comparable to that of the industrialized countries, but rather to determine national training and R&D priorities in accordance with national socioeconomic goals, to develop a capacity to make autonomous decisions, and to master the environment according to sustainable development. Innovative ways should be found to support pollution prevention and endogenous communities of scientists and technologists. Establishment of an institutional framework to assess and promote awareness of pollution prevention should be envisaged (29). Access to infomation Lack of information, equipment, scientific documentation about pollution prevention technologies, and communication between scientific and industrial communities are the biggest problems that are facing the developing world. Easy access to the International Cleaner Production Clearinghouse, which is based on the EPA Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse, could be supported. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Industry and Environment Program Activities Centre in Paris is doing a good job of disseminating information and promoting pollution prevention in developing countries. Establishment
of a center for pollution prevention in Tanzania in collaboration with government, industry, and academia should be the first step. The main purpose will be to build up information services and networking capacities at the regional through international levels. However, active participation of industry, citizens, and local governments should be considered an essential factor. Acknowledgments This paper is an abridged version of the author’s presentation at the ”International Workshop on Cleaner Production within Industry in Tanzania: Concepts, Methodologies and Technologies,” held in Dar es Salaam in December 1991. The paper is based on research supported by the Technical University of Denmark. The author would like to acknowledge the kind assistance provided by the National Environmental Management Council, Tanzania.
Environmental Management Council: Tanzania, 1990; UNIDO country paper. (8) Yhdego, M. Envimnmental Perspectives in Tanzania; Centre for Developing Countries, Technical University of Denmark: Lyngby. 1990. (9) Lann, H. Presented at the Media Workshop on Environment and Development: Arusha, Tanzania, 1986. (10) Ndesambum, J. The Impact of figamboni Petroleum Oil Refinerv Effluent to the Envimnmenl; Ardh
