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| Government pledges continued protection of Ozone layer |
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by
Our Reporter, 25 April 2005
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16:18:29
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Mines, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Eunice Kazembe said last Friday government will continue to protect Malawi from harmful effects of ozone depleting substances.
Kazembe was speaking in Zomba at the end of a specialised course on handling maintenance and repair of equipment in the refrigeration sector.
The minister said the destruction of the ozone layer leads to rising intensity of the ground level ultraviolet radiation.
“This in turn does result in numerous health and environmental problems such as skin cancer, eye cataracts, poor agriculture production and many other problems,” said Kazembe.
Ozone layer is a thin layer of gas between the sun and the earth’s surface that protects all living organisms including human being, from the harmful effects of the Sun.
Kazembe said there is scientific evidence that some chemicals produced by human beings destroy the ozone layer.
These chemicals include Chlorofluoracarbons (CFCs) and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCFs) that are used as cooling fluids in refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
Malawi is signatory to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol which the International Community adopted in order to protect the ozone layer from depletion.
As a commitment to the convention and protocol government banned the importation of equipment like second hand refrigerators, air conditioners and other equipment & designed to use CFCs as refrigerants.
Government further banned the importation of ozone depleting substances such as Halons, Methyl Bromide & Carbon tetrachloride.
Halons are used in the fire fighting sector, Methyl Bromide in agriculture while carbon tetrachloride is used as a solvent.
The Zomba training, organised by the Environment Ministry in collaboration with that of Transport & Public works, was designed to train refrigeration technicians in good refrigeration technicians.
“I am, therefore, confident that with the training, refrigeration technicians will be able to professionally manage, handle and maintain refrigeration equipment through the introduction of cleaner refrigeration technologies and in the process phase out use of ozone depleting substances in this sector,” she said.
But Kazembe said phasing out the use of ozone depleting substances may require conversion of some existing equipment to comply with new technologies.
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