Large tonnage cargo ships stranded on the beach waiting to be scrapped in Alang , India .
dismantling . The guidelines provide information and recommendations on procedures , processes and practices that must be implemented to achieve Environmentally Sound Management ( ESM ) at such facilities . The guidelines also provide advice on monitoring and verification of environmental performance . Currently ship breaking is centred primarily in Pakistan , India and Bangladesh . Almost all vessels , with few exceptions , are broken up on beach facilities . Compared with standards or general norms expected within industrialised countries , current methods of ship dismantling fail to comply in many aspects . Insufficiencies related to adopted procedures include , but may not be limited to precautions , training and awareness and to available facilities . Furthermore , the implementation of measures for improvement will affect not only the ship-dismantling facility but may also raise issues relating to procedures prior to dismantling , as well as to the destiny of the waste or material streams derived from the extraction process . Problems generated by the insufficiencies of current ship-dismantling practices have consequences for not only the environment but also for occupational safety and health of workers .
Environmental impacts can be categorised as follows :
● By occupying and expanding the areas required for breaking , the dismantling industry affects both the local surrounding , environment and society . The established local community may be relying on basic industries such as fishery and agriculture , hence conflict of interests may become an issue .
● Discharges and emissions to the sea , ground and air cause both acute and long term pollution . The lack of containment to prevent toxins from entering the environment is a major concern .
In recognising the need for improving the process and further , to manage the increasing volume of vessels to be disposed of , the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal ( Basel Convention ) decided to address the subject at their fifth meeting ( COP 5 ) in December 1999 .
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