WaterAid Launches Solid Waste Management Project

WASH Stakeholders at the launch of the project.–Project focuses on sanitation in Greater MonroviaThe British charity WaterAid has launched a sanitation project aimed at addressing issues of solid waste management in Greater Monrovia and its immediate environs.The garbage situation in Greater Monrovia is alarming, resulting to the need for stakeholders to jointly develop and strengthen a comprehensive solid waste management strategy.The Sanitation Project is intended to support Greater Monrovia for the Development of a Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Strategy.WaterAid Regional Director, Mariame Dem stressed the need for collaborative efforts in addressing sanitation challenges in Montserrado County.Madam Dem called on stakeholders to put into practice lessons learned from other countries, to improve Solid Waste Management in Liberia.World Bank Liberia Operations Officer, Ester Rojas-Garcia called on stakeholders and government to ensure that a sustainable framework is developed for solid waste management.Madam Garcia urged solid waste stakeholders and government to put in place financial strategies, to aid the country when donors leave.The Program Director of Cities Alliance, Vijay Parmor said if Liberia fails to develop a solid waste management framework, the situation could create a challenge for the nation.Parmor said that Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) and the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) have herculean tasks in tackling solid waste issues.He said that his organization will work with WaterAid to develop the capacity of Community-Based Enterprises in collecting waste in Greater Monrovia.Parmor also said sanitation issues can be properly handled through the capacity building of Community-Based Enterprises.Panelists at the launch called for more technical and logistical support when it comes to solid waste management in Liberia. Jefferson Nyandibo, president of the National Waste Management Association of Liberia, said that in order to improve solid waste management, there should be a review of existing policy on waste management.Robena Vincent and Abraham Garneo of the PCC and MCC said that new innovations should be adopted in solid waste management in Montserrado County.The project, named under the title, “Supporting Greater Monrovia for the Development of a Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Strategy,” will focus on developing framework to tackle the issues of waste management.The project is designed partly based on critical findings of an Urban Scoping Study, commissioned by WaterAid in 2017.The Study identified four critical areas ranging from the lack of a regulatory leader and robust sector-driven approach, disproportionate investment in WASH components, limited community engagement, weak monitoring and evaluation systems.The proposed project by WaterAid identifies the need to invest in urban waste management due to the demand, current gap analysis, and the identification tools for the change needed to unlock challenges in achieving urban WASH targets.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)