Sustainable Manufacturing & Environmental Pollution (SMEP)
The overarching aim of SMEP is to identify future research activities that will help develop technical and non-technical solutions to reduce industrial pollution that causes environmental degradation and associated impacts on human health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA).
Polluting industries, including those from the manufacturing sector, are becoming increasingly prevalent in lower and middle income countries (LMICs) due in part to the globalization of trade, low labour costs and the spread of Western lifestyles. However, environmental and public health protection and resources to implement cleaner methods of production are severely lacking in many of these countries. As a consequence, there has been a rise in pollution-related chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease and strokes. Industrial pollution is also responsible for impacting the health of the general population due to contamination of air, drinking water, soil, crops, livestock, fish and other resources. Finally, climate change has been found to exacerbate the effects of pollutant exposure in developing countries by increasing concentrations of many chemicals in water, air, and sediment thereby the increasing sensitivity of crops and vegetation as well humans to the adverse effects of industrial pollution.
Industry and manufacturing sectors are increasing rapidly in lower and middle income countries. Photo: Karan Bhatia/Unsplash
SMEP has been established by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). SEI, together with the Department of Biology and the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York, were responsible for a baseline scoping study intended to help inform next phases of SMEP. The focus of the scoping study is on manufacturing industries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including textiles and clothing, leather, food processing, chemicals, rubber and plastics.
To translate levels of pollution into exposure and damage, the SMEP scoping study used internationally recognised exposure-response relationships (ERRs) and thresholds/guidelines for human health and environmental degradation to give a semi-quantitative assessment of damage from key industrial activities. These damage estimates are scaled according to the level of industrial activity (e.g. number, size and location of activities) at national and sub-national levels to assess the risk from industrial pollution.
More detailed case studies were conducted using ‘structured’ informant interviews/elite interviews with key stakeholders identified in the systematic review. These gathered more detailed information from stakeholders on their view of the main polluting industries, potential interventions and solutions, the benefits and dis-benefits of these interventions from the national/sub-national perspective. It also explored the barriers to implementation of solutions that were identified. The data gathered from these structured interviews complement data extracted from the comprehensive review of the literature on interventions/solutions, options and mechanisms to prevent, mitigate and remediate pollution and its consequences from industry.
The final phase of the scoping study analysed and synthesized the data produced to develop key recommendations for interventions, by industry and by country. It also identified important knowledge gaps and suggestions for future programmes of work that would most effectively lead to an enhanced understanding of how to move towards more sustainable industrial activities.These findings will be presented to policy makers and other stakeholders using a range of communication and visualization methods.
Contact: Lisa Emberson Email: l.emberson@york.ac.uk
ABOUT SMEP
SEI´s SMEP study will help provide a solid scientific basis for the initial calls for proposals which will be launched as part of the broader FCDO-UNCTAD SMEP Programme, a GBP 25 million umbrella research initiative addressing the issue of manufacturing pollution in Africa and Asia.
The SMEP programme was launched in 2019 and will run until the end of 2024.
For more information and to discover ongoing opportunities, visit the SMEP website.
Or email: info@smepprogramme.org
New report produced for SMEP Programme
September 2020
Manufacturing Pollution in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: Implications for the Environment, Health and Future Work, explores the environmental and health impacts associated with manufacturing activities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The report was produced by SEI and the University of York for the Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme.