CSE commits to strengthen solid waste management in Tanzania at 2nd pan-Africa workshop

Considering the emerging global challenges around solid waste management, Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) felt the need to have a ‘Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy (GFCCE),’ focusing especially on the Global South, including the countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa — Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia joined GFCCE at the time of its launch in July 2022.

Also read: Lake Victoria: CSE lays out strategy to manage water quality in Tanzania

To take the initiatives and learnings forward, a report titled Plastic waste management in Africa: An overview was released January 23, 2023, in the presence of delegates from nine African countries.

The High Commissioner of India in Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Samuel Mafwenga, director general of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), and Menan Jangu, director of research (NEMC), Government of Tanzania, were present at the event.

The two organisations have also signed a formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the existing solid waste management practices in Tanzania.

Between July 2022 and January 2023, many more nations, especially from Asia, expressed their interest in joining GFCCE to make it an inter-continental forum.

The core objective of GFCCE is to provide a global platform to countries where they can share evidence-based learnings, policy interventions, institutional frameworks and implementation modalities. 

Also read: CSE and NEMC release roadmap on how to clean Lake Victoria

The aim is to enable countries to establish sustainable solid waste management ecosystems based on the principles of circular economy.

Therefore, the GFCCE was conceived as a bridge to connect countries and cities in the pursuit of sustainable solid waste management practices that can eventually emerge as a good practice to inspire and influence others.

A dialogue of this scale can help cities reinvent their waste management systems with the help of evidence-based research and best practices. 

The report is a secondary scoping research on the state of plastic waste management systems and practices in fifteen African countries — Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Côte D’Ivoire and Cameroon.

Of the 15 countries, the first 10 are already part of GFCCE. Five new countries have been added to extend the forum in the coming years. This report captures insights into a diverse ecosystem of regional, local and national challenges that confront these countries in terms of plastic waste management through the existing basket of policy interventions.

Based on information available in the public domain, the study is an attempt to assess the current state of preparedness that countries are equipped with to deal with ever-increasing plastic pollution coupled with marine litter.

Through the review, the study also looks into various policy interventions and implementation challenges regarding existing institutional arrangements in place to combat plastic pollution. 

Also read: Ground report: Tanzania’s sanitation battle is just half won

A research team from CSE, headed by the centre’s executive director Anumita Roychowdhary, was in Tanzania to conduct and coordinate the release meeting in association with the director general of NEMC, Samuel G Mafwenga.

In her introductory remarks, Roychowdhary appreciated the collaborative partnership between CSE and NEMC in different environmental management programmes, including capacity building and knowledge sharing and developing environmental regulations and guidelines. 

In a follow-up message, Mafwenga extended his appreciation for all the support that NEMC has received so far from CSE in terms of creating knowledge products, conducting various online training programmes, technical assistance for the development of various regulations, guidelines and capacity-building programmes, both in India and Tanzania.

The two organisations have now officially signed a formal MoU to improve the existing solid waste management practices in Tanzania, focusing on source separation, improving collection efficiencies and scientific treatment and disposal based on the principles of the circular economy.

Jagdeep Gupta, executive director of CSE and Mafwenga signed the MoU to work together and share assistance in framing regulations related to sustainable solid waste management, guidelines, monitoring protocol and standards, initiate capacity building programmes and exposure visits.

Read more:

• Rwanda launches plan for next 14 years with focus on circular economy
• Discord from beginning: First round of talks for a global plastic treaty was not a success; here is why
• African digital innovators are turning plastic waste into value – but there are gaps

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