Asbestos in Southern Asia

If you have the requirement for an Asbestos survey, or Asbestos removal as result of the issues detailed within this article don’t hesitate to contact us using the details posted at the bottom of this blog.

Asbestos in Southern Asia

Below is a brief summary of the most significant Asbestos related issues faced by the countries within Southern Asia. Southern Asia is made up of 8 countries of which only one has banned the use of Asbestos. The 8 Countries are:

• Afghanistan;

• Bangladesh;

• Bhutan;

• The Maldives;

• India;

• Nepal;

• Pakistan; and

• Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan

Asbestos can be found within the mountains of Afghanistan, commonly in the form of Tremolite (a rare and non-commercially used type of Asbestos fiber). Environmental exposure to the carcinogenic amphibole fiber has led to pleural plaques and Asbestosis from breathing in the fibers from the naturally occurring mineral. Large Chrysotile deposits have also been found within the country.

On top of the possibility of environmental exposure, there is also the factor that Asbestos is not prohibited for use within Afghanistan. Its import, use and installation within new construction continues to this day. In fact, where many Western countries have now banned Asbestos, Afghanistan has increased its importation of the deadly mineral in recent years, used in the construction needed to repair the war-torn country. With one of the largest Asbestos producing countries to their North, (Kazakhstan), it is no mystery where the supply of the raw material is coming from.

Bangladesh

When Asbestos and Bangladesh are mentioned in the same sentence, the first thing that springs to mind for anyone in the Asbestos management filed is of course shipbreaking. Shipbreaking on the beaches and marshes of the Bangladesh deltas has been taking place for years and involves the stripping out and stripping down of end of service ships, tankers and boats. Statistically, 84% of all European ships will end their lives on the beaches of Bangladesh, India or Pakistan for ship breaking. Many, if not all ships are old and contain a plethora of hazardous materials such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), radioactive materials, heavy metals and of course Asbestos. Asbestos use in ships has been widespread because of its fireproof and chemically resistant qualities. Shipbreaking workers are typically provided with little to no protective equipment (including respirators), and the incidences of Asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma have skyrocketed over the years. Asbestos is often then resold within the local markets and used for such purposes as ‘Asbestos ovens’, potentially leading to even further exposure. At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in Bangladesh.

Bhutan

In November 2019 it was announced that Bhutan would ban Asbestos (according to the Office of Consumer Protection). This was due to take place following the compilation of a detailed report by the Department of Revenue and Customs. Large amounts of Asbestos materials have historically been imported from countries such as India and China. At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in Bhutan.

The Maldives

Not much is known about Asbestos usage and its effects within the Maldives and its 1,192 islands. Reports produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have detailed the effects the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on the islands which caused tsunami demolition waste found to contain Asbestos. Historically Asbestos has been used for the purpose of roof sheeting. No formal legislation and regulation relating to Asbestos management is present in the Maldives. At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in the Maldives, and the material is not prohibited by the Maldives Customs Services.

Nepal

In December 2014 the Government of Nepal banned all types of Asbestos (Ēsbēsṭōsa) for import, sale and distribution – the first country within South Asia to take this crucial step. Unfortunately, due to bilateral and multilateral agreements with countries such as Egypt, the prohibition is not absolute.

A National Asbestos Profile (NAP) of Nepal was conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and information on importation, regulations, domestic production, numbers of workers exposed, industries where Asbestos is present, estimates of the burden of the disease, and prevalence of the disease is presented within the comprehensive NAP.

Regulatory authorities such as the Center for Public Health and Environmental Development (CEPHED) have been established to monitor and manage the Asbestos risk within the country.

Earthquakes causing damage to existing structures that contain Asbestos, and the continued importation of Asbestos into Nepal are still a concern.

Although the situation in Nepal is not perfect (from an Asbestos management point of view), they have taken the first and most important step and banned the use of Asbestos. More action is now required to completely prohibit Asbestos importation, by raising the public awareness and increasing importation controls.

India

A whole series of blog articles are required to cover the Asbestos situation in India. As a summary, Asbestos is still in use in India huge amounts, the majority of it having been imported from countries like Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil and China. India has a thriving ship breaking industry, Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) can be found in certain areas of the country and India conducts its own mining and milling of Asbestos. Numerous Asbestos factories are prevalent throughout the country, as are shops that sell Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs). At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in India.

Pakistan

Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) is present within Pakistan (particularly in the North West of the country – in the same mountain range as Afghanistan). Environmental exposure is leading to significant incidences of mesothelioma. The NOA is typically Chrysotile, Tremolite and Anthophyllite. Studies (carried out in 2005) to assess the potential environmental exposure in the region found that some of the airborne fiber concentrations was more than 100-times the control limit of 0.1F/ml (F/cc). Pakistan also takes part in the ship breaking industry. At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in Pakistan, and furthermore Pakistan has sided with countries such as India, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan to block the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) listing of Asbestos via the Rotterdam Convention.

Sri Lanka

Chrysotile is the most commonly used Asbestos in Sri Lanka – predominantly utilized in the auto and construction industries. Asbestos cement roof sheeting has been significantly manufactured and used in the country since about the 1960’s, and Sri Lanka has been one of the biggest importers of Asbestos (in 2015 they accounted for 6% of the global consumption). Sri Lanka was similarly affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and workers were affected (see The Maldives section) during the clean-up of Asbestos waste in the demolition materials. At the time of writing there is no ban on the use of Asbestos in Sri Lanka. Prohibition was planned for 2024 however this may not occur due to economic blackmail, as well as political and trading pressure from Asbestos producing countries and their governments.

If you have any Asbestos related concerns, contact us to see how Anthesis Consulting Middle East can help you:

Charles Faulkner (Head of Environment, Health and Safety and Asbestos Team Leader)

• Phone: +971 (0) 50 5541 320

• Email: asbestos@anthesisgroup.com