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Environmental activities

FSD remediates sites contaminated by toxic pollutants inherited from the past, particularly obsolete pesticides, waste from former uranium mining sites and heavy metals.

Bags-of-soil-contaminated-with-toxic-pesticides-ready-to-be-transferred-to-the-national-centre-in-Vahksh-(Tajikistan,-2018)

Bags of soil contaminated with toxic pesticides ready to be transferred to the national centre in Vahksh (Tajikistan, 2018)

Toxic pesticides buried in the ground:
an invisible threat

In some countries, the soils pollution has a strong impact on health for the affected populations and on the ecosystems. Toxic pesticides and heavy metals seep into groundwater and in the food chain, contaminating plants, micro-organisms, animals and humans.

Environment

Toxic pesticides

Since 2016, FSD has been working on the clearance of soils contaminated by ancient stocks of pesticides from the Soviet era in Tajikistan. Until now, these activities consist mainly in the displacement of the soils contaminated layers to safe deposit storage and their replacement with clean soil.

At the same time, FSD is working with the United Nations to develop a technique to remediate contaminated soil in order to solve the problem for good.

Current operation
Tajikistan
Land contamined by obsolete pesticide in Tajikistan
Environment

Uranium

Between 2014 and 2020, FSD carried out several remediation projects in former uranium mining sites in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Analyses of water and soil pollution levels were conducted and the overall environmental impact assessed. Measures were then taken to decontaminate the affected areas: construction of fences, restoration of the soils covering the waste stockpiles, development of filtration methods for the local communities.

These activities were carried out in collaboration with the Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites (CGULS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Soil containing uranium, Tajikistan
Environment

Heavy metals

From 2012 to 2019 in Kyrgyzstan, FSD has been involved in studies on the location of sites polluted by waste, remnants of the extractive industry, including heavy metals (mercury, lead and zinc).

The following measures were taken: water analysis; health assessments in affected communities; development of measures to limit the leakage of toxic metals into the environment and to ensure safer access to food and water.

Analysis of water contaminated with heavy metals, Kyrgyzstan
Our impact

In 2021, our teams have planted 3’500 trees to limit erosion of soils around the national obsolete pesticides deposit center in Vakhsh, in Tajikistan.

Our impact

Our activities

Our humanitarian programmes focus on four main areas.

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Mine action

FSD locates and clears mines and unexploded ordnance, provides explosive ordnance risk education and assists survivors of accidental explosions.

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Recovery & stability

FSD supports ongoing peace processes in various countries and provides socio-economic support to communities.

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Environment

FSD remediates sites contaminated by toxic pollutants inherited from the past and act to promote biodiversity and resilience to face climate change. 

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Innovation & technology

FSD collaborates on research projects aiming to put new technologies, such as drones, at the service of mine action.

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Iraqi deminer trained to the use of a detector