| Blacksmith Institute
|
|
|---|---|
| Formation | 1999 |
| Type | International NGO |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| President | Richard Fuller |
| Website | http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org |
Founded in 1999, Blacksmith Institute is an international non-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating life-threatening pollution in the developing world. Blacksmith identifies and cleans up the world's worst polluted places, focusing on communities where children are most at risk. Based in New York, Blacksmith has completed over 30 cleanup projects around the world. Blacksmith is currently engaged in over 40 projects in 19 countries.
In 2011 Blacksmith was recognized with the UN-backed Green Star Award for its work in environmental emergencies.
Blacksmith is known for its annual World's Worst Polluted Places Reports, for the creation of the Blacksmith Index (used around the world to rate levels of health risk from pollution), and for the Blacksmith database, the only resource of its kind, which currently documents over 600 of the world's worst polluted places. This Polluted Places Initiative identifies polluted sites throughout the world by means of an online nomination process.[1]
Blacksmith is currently expanding their database with the Global Inventory Project. Blacksmith investigators are assessing polluted hotspots in over 60 countries to build the first comprehensive global inventory of the world's worst polluted places with human health impact. The sites identified in this global inventory will be targeted for cleanup under the Health and Pollution Fund.
In 2008, Blacksmith began coordinating an international effort to create the Health and Pollution Fund, a $500 million-$1 billion USD global public health fund to support the cleanup and elimination of life-threatening pollution in the developing world.
Below are some examples of successful interventions
Since 2006, Blacksmith Institute's yearly reports have been instrumental in increasing public understanding of the health impacts posed by the world's worst polluted places, and in some cases, have compelled cleanup work at these sites. Previous reports have identified the top ten world's worst polluted places or pollution problems. The 2009 report focuses on 12 Cases of Cleanup and Success. Blacksmith reports have been issued jointly with Green Cross Switzerland since 2007. Read or download reports at www.worstpolluted.org [1]
The report lists the worst toxic pollution problems according to human health impact. The evaluation is based on data collected by the Blacksmith Institute and the Swiss Green Cross.
Top Ten Worst Toxic Pollution Problems:
The report identifies and quantifies the impacts of the most damaging toxic pollutants. The Top Six Toxic Threats are:
The report lists 10 programs, unranked, as examples of successful efforts to reduce the toll of pollution on human health. It also includes two initiatives with worldwide impact.
As of September 2007, the Institute lists the following as the world's ten most polluted places (in alphabetical order by country):[2]
Also mentioned
The Institute has operated in China since 2002.[3]
World's "Dirty 30"
In its 2007 report, The World’s Worst Polluted Places issued on September 16, the Blacksmith Institute included Meycauayan and Marilao in Bulacan, Philippines, in the list of the world’s thirty most polluted places in the developing world.The World’s Worst Polluted Places It stated: "Industrial waste is haphazardly dumped into the Marilao, Meycauayan, and Obando River system, a source of drinking and agricultural water supplies for the 250,000 people living in and around” the Meycauayan-Marilao area."[4]
Blacksmith works cooperatively around the world in partnerships that include governments, the international community, NGOs and local agencies to design and implement innovative, low-cost pollution solutions that save lives. Blacksmith provides strategic, technical, and financial support to local champions working for the betterment of their communities.
The priority of Blacksmith is to work in locations throughout the developing world where human health is most affected by pollution. Its programs involve a multi-step process that includes: