{"id":87004,"date":"2026-02-09T18:14:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T12:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=87004"},"modified":"2026-02-09T18:14:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T12:44:44","slug":"minamata-convention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/minamata-convention\/","title":{"rendered":"Minamata Convention, History, Area Covered, Features"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Minamata Convention on Mercury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a global agreement adopted in <\/span><b>2013<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect people and the environment from<\/span><b> mercury pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is named after <\/span><b>Minamata Bay in Japan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where mercury poisoning caused serious health problems, known as <\/span><b>Minamata disease.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>Minamata Convention<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Minamata Convention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an international agreement that aims to <\/span><b>reduce mercury pollution over time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially from human activities that release large amounts of mercury into the environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also <\/span><b>controls the trade and movement of mercury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between countries, so that mercury is not freely sold or transported across borders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention <\/span><b>does not cover mercury released naturally<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as from volcanoes; it mainly <\/span><b>focuses on human-made pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It came into <\/span><b>force in August 2017<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the <\/span><b>first Conference of the Parties (COP-1)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was held in September 2017 in <\/span><b>Geneva<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since then, <\/span><b>member countries have been working together to limit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mercury supply, reduce its use, control emissions, spread public awareness and build systems to manage mercury safely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At present, <\/span><b>more than 130 countries are part of the Convention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, showing wide global support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention <\/span><b>bans new mercury mines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, plans to close existing ones, and reduces mercury use in products, industries, and gold mining, especially small-scale gold mining.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also deals with safe storage and disposal of mercury waste, cleaning up mercury-polluted sites, and protecting human health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Minamata Disease<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a serious neurological condition caused by mercury (methylmercury) poisoning from industrial pollution, affecting the brain and nervous system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was first identified in <\/span><b>1956 in Minamata, Japan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a fishing town where a chemical factory discharged mercury into the sea.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was caused when people consumed contaminated fish and shellfish, which carried <\/span><b>methylmercury, leading to poisoning.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The symptoms<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">include numbness in hands and feet, muscle weakness, tremors, loss of vision and hearing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In severe cases it can cause coma, paralysis, insanity, or death. Fetuses exposed in the womb can develop congenital Minamata disease or cerebral palsy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the <\/span><b>first disease linked directly to industrial water pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, raising worldwide awareness about environmental and public health hazards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over decades, <\/span><b>thousands were affected<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; chronic cases increased gradually, with more than 1000 deaths officially recorded among recognized patients.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Minamata Convention History<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the <\/span><b>1950s, serious mercury poisoning was first noticed in Minamata, Japan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where people fell ill after eating fish contaminated by industrial waste.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This tragedy, later called <\/span><b>Minamata Disease<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, made the world aware of the dangers of mercury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><b>2001<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/united-nations-environment-programme-unep\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>United Nations Environment Programme <\/strong><\/a><\/span><b>(UNEP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> began studying the harmful effects of mercury on health and the environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <\/span><b>2003<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, countries agreed that strong global action was needed to control mercury pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between <\/span><b>2005 and 2007, UNEP launched global efforts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to reduce mercury use and emissions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><b>2009, an international committee was formed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to draft a legally binding agreement on mercury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After several meetings, the <\/span><b>Minamata Convention was adopted in 2013 in Japan.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention came into <\/span><b>force in 2017<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and many countries, <\/span><b>including India, joined<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect people and the environment from mercury pollution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Areas Covered Under Minamata Convention<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury Supply &amp; Trade<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Controls mining, storage, and international trade of mercury.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury-Added Product<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bans mercury in batteries, lamps, cosmetics, measuring devices and reduces dental amalgam use.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cosmetics<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prohibits mercury in cosmetics and tackles illegal production.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Industrial Processes<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limits mercury use in industries like chlorine, caustic soda and acetaldehyde production.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Artisanal &amp; Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduces and eventually eliminates mercury use in small-scale gold mining.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Air Emissions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Controls mercury emissions from coal plants and industries using best available technology.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Land &amp; Water Pollution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulates mercury release into soil and water and promotes safe industrial practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury Storage<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensures safe temporary storage to prevent leaks and health hazards.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury Waste Management<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Promotes environmentally safe disposal and restricts cross-border movement of mercury waste.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Contaminated Sites &amp; Biodiversity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identifies and manages polluted sites and protects ecosystems and biodiversity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Minamata Convention Features<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Convention aims to <\/span><b>stop mercury mining completely<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so that no new sources of mercury pollution are created.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It works to <\/span><b>phase out mercury use in everyday products<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and factories, replacing it with safer alternatives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong rules are made to <\/span><b>reduce mercury pollution in air, water and soil<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially from industries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major focus is on <\/span><b>small-scale gold mining<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where mercury is often misused, by promoting safer methods.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It gives guidance for <\/span><b>safe storage, disposal and treatment of mercury waste and polluted areas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protecting human health, especially <\/span><b>children and pregnant women,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a key goal of the Convention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countries that join the Convention, including India, <\/span><b>must legally follow these rules.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Financial and technical help<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is provided to developing countries through international funds like <\/span><b>Global Environment Facility(GEF).<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/cop\/\" target=\"_blank\">Conference of Parties<\/a> (COP) meets regularly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to review progress and improve implementation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, the Convention supports sustainable development by balancing environmental protection with global cooperation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>About Mercury<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury(Hg<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) is a heavy, shiny, silver-coloured metal, with atomic number 80.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is unique because it <\/span><b>remains in liquid form at room temperature<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can <\/span><b>conduct heat and electricity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which made it useful in scientific instruments earlier.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Mercury can be poisonous <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even in small quantities to living beings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury is<\/span><b> found naturally<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the Earth\u2019s crust.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>World Health Organization lists it among the most harmful chemicals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and is considered highly<\/span><b> dangerous to human health and the environment.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Mercury Sources<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Natural Sources<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Volcanic eruptions\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weathering and erosion of rocks and soil and from oceans.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Human-made (Anthropogenic) Sources<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the biggest source of mercury release.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burning of coal and fossil fuels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Industries like <\/span><b>cement production, metal processing and chemical factories emit mercury<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improper disposal of <\/span><b>electronic waste<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why is Mercury Harmful?<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury is <\/span><b>highly toxic<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and even very small exposure can seriously harm human health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury occurs naturally, but human activities have increased its spread, allowing it to travel through air and water across countries, polluting soil, water and ecosystems far from the source.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In water, <\/span><b>mercury changes into methylmercury, which is more poisonous and easily enters the food chain.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It builds up in fish and seafood and humans are exposed by eating contaminated food.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mercury mainly <\/span><b>damages the brain and <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/nervous-system\/\" target=\"_blank\">nervous system<\/a>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> causing permanent problems like memory loss, learning difficulties and speech issues, especially in children and unborn babies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also <\/span><b>affects other organs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as the kidneys, lungs, skin, eyes and immune system, leading to long-term health problems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even <\/span><b>very small amounts of mercury are unsafe<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>scientists say there is no completely safe level of exposure.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Minamata Convention is a global treaty adopted in 2013 to control mercury pollution, protect human health, regulate trade, emissions, waste and prevent Minamata disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":86969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[786],"tags":[5282],"class_list":{"0":"post-87004","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general-studies","8":"tag-minamata-convention","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87004"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87025,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87004\/revisions\/87025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}