Yasuyuki Hata

(Former:Technical Officer, Office of Industrial Waste Management, Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Dep., Ministry of Health and Welfare)

(Present:Air Pollution Control Division, Air Quality Bureau, Environment Agency)

Abstract

Recently, waste disposal has become a great social ploblem not only domestically, but also internationally. In developing countries, not to mention in advanced countries, people are taking an interest in dealing with industrial waste and the development of disposal techniques with rapid industrialization. Especally, there is a pressing need to control hazardous waste prodction and to deal properly with their effects on the environment. "Asia and Pacific Regional Workshop on Hazardous Waste Minimization and Redction" was held in Kyoto under the joint auspices of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Goverinment of Japan from December 3rd to the 8th, 1990. Eight countries from Asia and Japan attnded this workshop. The present conditions of hazardous waste and how they are dealt with were reported by each country and argued actively. It becomes clear that hazardous wastes must be recognized as an international problem. With this recognition, it is necessary to deal with domestic problems of waste and to cooperate internationally.

Key words: hazardous waste, UNEP, workshop