During Sep.9-10, 2010, the inception workshop for Sino-Australian project of “Environmental Risk Assessment and Management of Persistent Organic Contaminated Water Body” was launched in Yiyang, Hunan Province. Delegates briefed on project objectives, significance, and main activities; introduced POPs contamination and water body preservation situation in South Dongting Lake area; exchanged both countries’ policies on contaminated water body management and environmental risk assessment; and made arrangements for project implementation. The workshop laid a solid foundation for the efficient and smooth implementation of the project in the future. All together over 50 people were invited to attend the inception workshop, including officials and representatives from MEP/FECO, AusAID, ACEDP Project Management Office, Hunan Provincial EPB, Yiyang people’s government, Yiyang EPB, and relevant institutions.

POPs contaminated water body is a key area in POPs Convention implementation and China’s overall pollution control as it causes serious damage to water body ecosystem and biodiversity. Research data showed that both dioxin and DDT have been detected in the sediment and surrounding soil of South Dongting Lake area, thus posing potential threat to local eco-environment and human health.

In order to effectively and scientifically mitigate the hazardous effects posed by POPs chemicals to the ecosystem, MEP/FECO and ACEDP Project Management Office jointly developed this project, aiming to investigate POPs contamination situation in the area, identify potential risks, learn from advanced Australian technology and management experience to formulate ESA and ESM Program for POPs contaminated water body in the lake area and guide the local government in mitigating potential hazardous effects from POPs chemicals, and lend experience to other regions in China.