UNEP mulls solid waste management in Africa: official

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) plans to enlist the private sector and development financial institutions to tackle the solid waste management problem in Africa, its African director said Sunday.

UNEP Director and Regional Representative for Regional office for Africa Juliette Koudenoukpo told Xinhua in Nairobi that effective solid waste management requires investments which African governments alone cannot mobilize.

"We think that time has come for the private sector and other financiers to come on board to solve the solid waste problem," Koudenoukpo said on the sidelines of a Seminar on Waste Management in Africa.

"The private sector will help governments to understand the commercial viability of solid waste. The day Africa can succeed in making waste attractive, will be the beginning of sustainable management of solid waste," she added.

The generation of solid waste is increasing in the continent due to rapid population growth as well high urbanization rates.

UNEP has already held discussions with a number of pan-African banks in order to provide financing for solid waste management.

"We think that in two years we could start talking on how to conduct preliminary studies on the role of private sector in solid waste management," Koudenoukpo said, noting that solid waste does have commercial value which the private sector can harness.

"It is the private sector more than the government that knows how to deal with commercial aspects of solid waste," she added. Endit