Proposal for Comprehensive Solution for City Waste Management in Senegal
China and Senegal win-win cooperation on waste management
Challenges
Africa is on a rapid economic growth path and its sustainable development needs to be taken into consideration. The concept of sustainability is, however, rapidly expanding to include environmental, economic and social equity. The environment, whether natural or built, is a unique form of capital since all goods, services and human health conditions relate to it and its quality. These components must be sustained through conservation and proper management. Senegal has experienced a rapid pace of urbanization. The dynamics of urbanization are challenging the capacity of municipalities to effectively provide basic urban services and manage scarce resources. Like many other countries, Senegal suffers from a chronic lack of access to waste management services.
Currently, key issues in Senegal’s environmental problems lie in management, infrastructure and regulation. The management of household waste is mostly done by private companies or civil society organizations, with inefficient, underpaid workers. Waste collection is disorderly and manual, transport old and slow, and treatment simple and polluting, all of which leads to the pressing need for a highly efficient and effective solution to waste management.
Towards a Solution
In order to address these challenges, starting from December 2019, a project supported by the Global South-South Development Center (GSSDC) and implemented by the China-Africa Business Council was initiated. The main objective of this project was to provide a comprehensive waste management solution plan as a policy reference for the Government of Senegal and to benefit the local community by helping to create employment and bring about a cleaner environment. This project contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation); 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). It also contributes to Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) Priority Areas 1 (Productive capacity); 5 (Human and social development); 6 (Multiple crises and other emerging challenges) and 8 (Good governance at all levels).
Through field investigation on the sanitation situation in key cities of Senegal, technicians employed by the project provided a report on the country’s status-quo and existing problems, thus creating a database for the Senegal government as a policy reference. In order to achieve comprehensive solutions, seminars and workshops bringing together local and international experts from government, academia, and the private sector, promoted the exchanges of ideas on policies, risks, finance etc.
During the implementation process, data were collected through public resources and conversations held on waste management practices, relevant policies and local examples. Chinese experts conducted field research through field visits and conversations with Chinese waste management companies and Senegalese officials, site workers, management people, service institutions and policy makers. This served as preparation for an analysis of raw materials and first-hand investigation, in order to produce a summary of the status quo. Also, seminars in China and workshops in Senegal were held, bringing together engineers, technicians, government officials and workers from environment companies, public institutions and service agencies in order to have an in-depth understanding of local conditions and waste management knowledge. This was followed by a meeting between Chinese, Senegalese and other international personnel met to discuss a solution plan. A clear structure and content of a solution proposal was achieved based on analysis on the take-aways from seminars, workshops and conversations. Finally, specialized environmental institutions, government officials, international experts and relevant parties held assessment meetings and shared feedback and adjustments with Chinese and Senegalese companies.
As a result, a more viable and comprehensive solution and an official project are in development. These will help Senegal to achieve effective and highly efficient waste management. Therefore, water quality will be greatly improved and the environment can be properly protected.
In addition to the achievements this project will bring, it is also adaptable and sustainable. The project highlights the significance of waste management and environmental protection in the process of fast urbanization, which meets the conditions in many least developed countries (LDCs) and in neighbouring African countries. The paradigm of information collection, analysis, exchanges of knowledge and experience, solution-finding and adjustments according to feedback can be applied to relevant issues for African sustainable development. Besides, these workshops and seminars are especially beneficial for Senegalese people to find their own solutions to environmental problems with skills and knowledge.
Senegal has great attraction and holds out much promise for Chinese companies looking to invest in technologies and infrastructures, which means that both Chinese and Senegalese can benefit from waste management and environmental protection programmes. This project also proves that South-South cooperation is necessary and effective in dealing with challenges faced by developing countries and the international community.
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