Contentious Politics in Environmental Assessment: The Matola Hazardous Waste Incineration Project, Mozambique John F. Devlin, PhD Associate Professor School of Environmental Design and Rural Development Room Landscape Architecture Building - University of Guelph 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Tel: Ext / Fax:

Collect obsolete pesticides from all over Mozambique: 300 – 900 tons. Collect obsolete pesticides from all over Mozambique: 300 – 900 tons. Develop a disposal plan: land fill, export, incineration Develop a disposal plan: land fill, export, incineration Develop a hazardous waste incinerator to burn those that can be incinerated. Develop a hazardous waste incinerator to burn those that can be incinerated. Recondition an existing cement kiln in Matola using Danish incineration technology. Recondition an existing cement kiln in Matola using Danish incineration technology. The Proposal

The Timeline 1996 Mozambican authorities request DANIDA's assistance for the disposal of obsolete pesticides 1997 Collection of pesticides begins and first EA Report completed 1997 Collection of pesticides begins and first EA Report completed 1998 NGO opposition begins 1998 NGO opposition begins 1999 Second EA Report Completed 1999 Second EA Report Completed 2000 MICOA (Mozambique’s Ministry for Environmental Coordination) announces that the project is cancelled MICOA (Mozambique’s Ministry for Environmental Coordination) announces that the project is cancelled. How does the contentious politics approach suggest we analyze this process? How does the contentious politics approach suggest we analyze this process?

Contentious Politics Mobilizing structures Mobilizing structures The stakeholders and their resources The stakeholders and their resources Repertoires of action Repertoires of action What the stakeholders do What the stakeholders do Discursive contention Discursive contention What the stakeholders argue What the stakeholders argue Political opportunity structures Political opportunity structures Additional conditions and events that shape the contention Additional conditions and events that shape the contention

Mobilizing structures The Proponents The Proponents MICOA (Ministry for Environmental Coordination, Mozambique) MICOA (Ministry for Environmental Coordination, Mozambique) DANIDA (Danish International Aid Agency) DANIDA (Danish International Aid Agency) Cimentos de Mozambique Cimentos de Mozambique The Opposition The Opposition BAN (Basel Action Network) BAN (Basel Action Network) Greenpeace (International, Denmark) Greenpeace (International, Denmark) Environmental Justice Networking Forum (SA) Environmental Justice Networking Forum (SA) Livaningo (All that Sheds Light) (Mozambique) Livaningo (All that Sheds Light) (Mozambique) City of Matola (Mozambique) City of Matola (Mozambique)

Repertoires of action Letters to DANIDA President Letters to DANIDA President Press releases Press releases Newspaper articles Newspaper articles Meeting with Danish Parliamentarians Meeting with Danish Parliamentarians Public meetings and education campaign in Maputo/Matola Public meetings and education campaign in Maputo/Matola Demonstrations in Maputo/Matola Demonstrations in Maputo/Matola

Discursive contention The environmental impacts of incineration. The environmental impacts of incineration. Emission of dioxins, furans, persistent organic pollutants Emission of dioxins, furans, persistent organic pollutants Danger to the local community Danger to the local community The potential for international trade in wastes The potential for international trade in wastes Contravention of Basel, Bamako, Lome IV conventions Contravention of Basel, Bamako, Lome IV conventions The existence of alternatives The existence of alternatives Export of all wastes to countries with existing facilities Export of all wastes to countries with existing facilities Cost: The alternatives would be cheaper Cost: The alternatives would be cheaper $2.2 million instead of $8.8 million $2.2 million instead of $8.8 million The weakness of the public participation process The weakness of the public participation process Limited notice, difficulty of access to documents, limited public hearings Limited notice, difficulty of access to documents, limited public hearings

Political opportunity structures Existing international conventions: Existing international conventions: Basel, Bamako, Lome IV Basel, Bamako, Lome IV Mozambique’s adoption of EA legislation in 1997 Mozambique’s adoption of EA legislation in 1997 Fact of international funding Fact of international funding Danish involvement, multiple pressure points Danish involvement, multiple pressure points International concern about obsolete pesticides International concern about obsolete pesticides NGOs had interest and developed positions NGOs had interest and developed positions International concern about waste incineration International concern about waste incineration NGOs had experts, analysis NGOs had experts, analysis Disagreements within the Dutch government Disagreements within the Dutch government DANIDA vs. DANCED DANIDA vs. DANCED

Explanation The final decision to abandon the project was not inevitable. Why did it happen? What was most important? The final decision to abandon the project was not inevitable. Why did it happen? What was most important? The MICOA statement asserted the non-viability of the project from an economic standpoint not an environmental one. The MICOA statement asserted the non-viability of the project from an economic standpoint not an environmental one. A key defection A key defection Cimentos de Mozambique announced that it was not willing to become a permanent hazardous waste incineration facility. Cimentos de Mozambique announced that it was not willing to become a permanent hazardous waste incineration facility. This made the investment non-viable This made the investment non-viable

Conclusions/Hypotheses Public mobilization was important Public mobilization was important Cimentos de Mozambique would not have changed its position if the public mobilization had not taken place Cimentos de Mozambique would not have changed its position if the public mobilization had not taken place Proponents with vulnerability to the local community are more likely to defect to the opposition Proponents with vulnerability to the local community are more likely to defect to the opposition Economic outcomes continue to be more important than environmental outcomes in decision making. Economic outcomes continue to be more important than environmental outcomes in decision making.

Generalizing - Applying contentious politics to EA processes

The Research Program The objective is theory construction The objective is theory construction What factors influence outcomes in the EA process? What factors influence outcomes in the EA process? Are there necessary and /or sufficient conditions? Are there necessary and /or sufficient conditions? There is need for many case studies of contention in EA to contribute to this research program. There is need for many case studies of contention in EA to contribute to this research program. Theory will advance through accumulation and comparative analysis of case studies. Theory will advance through accumulation and comparative analysis of case studies. You are all invited to contribute. You are all invited to contribute.