Health Impact Assessmentin countries of the WHOWestern Pacific Region

Rozlan IshakSTP/EHH

WPRO, Manila

HIA ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED INWESTERN PACIFIC REGION

� July 1993 Environmental risk assessment and management, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

� August 1993 National workshop on environmental riskassessment and control technology, Manila and Tagaytay, Philippines.

� November 1993 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

� January 1994 Training course on environmental impactassessment, Hue, Viet Nam

� June 1994 National workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Manila and Laguna, Philippines.

� October 1994 Workshop on environmental health riskassessment and management, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

� January 1995 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Vientiane,Lao People�s Democratic Republic

� March 1995 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Beijing, China

� April 1995 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Honiara, Solomon Islands

� June 1995 National workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

� August 1995 National workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

� November 1995 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment, Manila and Davao, Philippines.

� December 1995 WHO / ComSec workshop on environmentalhealth impact assessment,Singapore

� March 1996 Seminar on environmental health impact assessment, Hanoi, Viet Nam

� May 1996 National environmental health impact assessment plan � Review of progress, Manila , Philippines.

� September 1996 Workshop on environmental health impact assessment,Suva and Nadave, Fiji

� August 1997 Workshop on assessment and management ofenvironmental health hazards, Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea

� May 1997 National workshop on Healthy Cities andenvironmental health impact assessment,Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia

� July 2000 Environmental Health ImpactSeptember Assessment, Papua New Guinea.

� November 2000 Environmental Health Impact Assessment,Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi, Malaysia

� 2000 � 2002 Health Impact of ambient air pollution inChina

� 2002 Health Impact Assessment in Fiji

� 2002 Health Impact Assessment in Mongolia

� 2002 - Health impact monitoring system in Metro Manila, Philippines

� 2003 Health impact monitoring system in Malaysia and China

FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN HIA WPR� Initial approaches towards strengthening the national capacity in

implementing Environmental Impact Assessment.( EIA) up to 1992

� Then the focus were towards integration Health component intoEIA through EHIA activities.( 1992 � 1999)

� Now, the focus were towards strengthening capacity in assessmentand management of the impact of development changes especiallyon specific developmental activities.( 2000 � 2003 )

� In future, the focus will be towards health impact assessment ofnew technology, globalisation of industry, urbanization, globalenvironmental changes and international trade.

EXAMPLES

Selected developmental projects thatrequired EIA/HIA in Malaysia

The Twin Towers of KualaLumpur, Malaysia

� KLCC is one of theworld�s largestcommercial real estatedevelopment

� 40 hectares� 88 storey towers� Jointed at 41st and 42nd

floor by 58.4 meterlong sky bridge

� Traffic flows� Noise� Safety� Health of the workers� Food, accommodations and hygiene� Vector borne disease such as dengue� Waste management

� US $4 billion� Situated on the Balui

river� Affected 10 000

indigenous people� Occupied 69 640

hectares of land� Large virgin rainforest� 2 400 MW power

� Construction� Health and safety of workers� Food, accommodations, water supply, hygiene, medical

examination- pre , routine and post� Disease surveillance, malaria, typhus, food and water borne

diseases, sexual transmitted infections,� Social and welfare of the workers� Indigenous people, welfare, health and economic needs

for displacement to the new sites need to be addressed.� Homes and shelter , school & education, jobs and fertile land

replacement , food, water supply, religious requirement, socialand welfare, health clinics etc

HAZARDOUS WASTE INCINERATIONPLANTS, MALAYSIA

� Kualiti Alam managedschedule waste in Malaysia

� Scheduled waste are acid,lubricating oil, printing ink,batteries,benzene, cyanidewaste, pesticides, glue.

� There are four majorfacilities to treat anddispose waste:� Incineration� Physical / chemical

treatment plant� Solidification� Secured landfill

� Construction� Health of workers and communities from construction

work especially dust, noise, traffic.� Disease surveillance established for injuries, respiratory

diseases,� Operation

� Potential pollutants associated with discharges from theplant to the air, water and soil.

� Disease under surveillance are cancer, congenitaldeformities, respiratory diseases, skin diseases etc.

� Problems associated with solid waste:� Environmental problems:

� Natural resources wasted� Pollution of water, soil and air� Land consumption very high and expensive

� Health� Diseases from contact, pest and rodents,

mosquito, air borne etc.� Diseases such as dengue fever, scrub typhus,

food and water borne, poisoning, respiratorydiseases, injuries and tetanus, skin diseasesetc.

� Long-term environmental monitoring� Landfill, sitting, design and construction� Preparation of comprehensive solid waste management plans� Transfer station sitting and operation� Preparation of landfill closure and post-closure plans� Preparation of recycling and composting plans� Waste stream analysis� Gas collection and extraction systems� Leachate collection, control and treatment systems� Construction inspection and management� Temporary and final landfill closure construction and plans� Post-closure activities� Plans of operation� Storm water management� Regulatory compliance and permitting

KAMPONG BOHOL INCINERATORPLANTS

� In 2002, 74.2 % ofdomestic waste wasincinerated in KualaLumpur.

� 1500 tan capacity� There fluidised bed� Help to reduce the

problems of solid waste inKuala Lumpur.

� Potential health issues from� Stake emission / gas emission especially dioxin

/ furan , both are carcinogenic� Other problems are smell, breeding ground for

vectors and pest, leacheate and soil / groundwater contamination.

� Heavy vehicle movements and accidents @ 300trips per day

� Disease under surveillance comprised ofrespiratory disease, cancer (e.g brain tumour),vector borne diseases such as dengue fever ,accidents and injuries , skin diseases especiallyamong the workers etc.

AGRICULTURE &PLANTATION SECTORS

Major economic earner in Malaysia

� Involved clearance large areas of forest, vegetation andhomes of some animals.

� Utilization of large quantities of fertilizers, pesticides andinsecticides that will polluted the rivers and streams.

� Contributed to soil erosion and flooding in low land.� Some used fires to clear the land and cause haze, which

affected the health especially related respiratory disease.� Indigenous people were displaced by the plantation

sectors.� Workers are subjected to risk of malaria, food and water

borne diseases, injuries and other diseases.

� In essence, HIA offers a practicaland flexible framework foridentifying health and equity impactsand ways of addressing them.

THANK YOU