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Consultations begin on Solid Waste Management strategy
A tractor and bin on display at Yesterday’s launch, Equipment needed for Proper Solid Waste Management
The government through the Ministry of Communities began its series of consultations on the Draft National Integrated Solid Waste Management Strategy yesterday at the UmanaYana. The Consultation is expected to culminate in December 2016.
The strategy is to provide a trajectory for the better management of the nation’s waste.
Speaking at the event was Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, who stressed the importance of having a strategic framework tailored to improve the waste management infrastructure, enforcing existing legislation and promoting waste-to-energy initiatives.
He said, “The strategy is also expected to inform the country’s integrated efforts at converting waste material into useful resources by ensuring their full utilization and eventual exploitation for by-products and value-added.”
According to Environmental Engineer, Satrohan Nauth, the consultations will move forward within a Legislative and Policy Framework.
He said that the Ministry’s programme will be based on three pillars of waste management: reuse, recycle and recover. He added that the Ministry will ultimately have landfill sites and facilities in all 10 administrative regions.
He added that there will need to be relevant technical experts to operate these facilities so as to prevent any harm being done to the environment. In terms of equipment, Nauth said that the government will have to source tools which are best suited for Guyana.
Alex Graham, Chief Executive Officer of Tagman Media Inc., appropriately showed the relationship between personal hygiene and public waste disposal.
He said that there must be a re-education of the society which has become used to improper garbage generation and disposal habits.
The Consultation on the Draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy was contracted to Samuel Wright who explained that every human action creates a by-product.
He stressed that persons need to start thinking about the potential waste they’ll create before they create it.
He said that the Consultations will take place in 25 communities across the 10 regions. At the end of these exercises, it is expected that a complete document will emerge to support the ratification of the National Solid Waste Management Bill.
Wright predicted that in the year 2024, some 40% of all generated waste will be recycled, composted or utilized by other means.
Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams, in her closing remarks said that Guyanese have become aware of their contribution to a clean, healthy and wholesome human habitation.
She explained that no more can the nation allow citizens, their children and grandchildren to return to a status-quo where there is wanton disregard for the environment.
According to the Junior Minister, her Ministry wants to erase the old habits but moreover, to instil and propagate new ideas of waste management in the younger Guyanese generation.
The draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy was developed under the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Guyana with assistance of an international consultant.
The strategy will involve nationwide consultation with all stakeholders inclusive, of Mayors, Councillors, Regional Executives, residents, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
The consultations will allow for the input from civil society which will be incorporated into the final document before it is approved by Cabinet.
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