Economic & Environmental Sustainability: Mauritania’s New Weapon in the Fight Against Waste

Economic & Environmental Sustainability: Mauritania’s New Weapon in the Fight Against Waste

Mauritania, a nation facing significant environmental challenges, has embarked on a transformative journey to combat waste and promote sustainable practices. The country’s strategy revolves around a holistic approach that weaves economic and environmental considerations into a unified solution.

Driving the shift

Traditional waste management practices in Mauritania were unsustainable, leading to overflowing landfills and polluted environments. To address this, the government implemented a waste reduction strategy in 20 Künans (municipal districts) and rural communities. The initiative involves:

• Promoting source reduction: Encouraging waste segregation and reduction at the point of generation.
• Boosting recycling and composting: Establishing collection centers and composting plants to transform waste into valuable resources.
• Encouraging reuse: Promoting the repair and repurposing of materials to extend their lifespan.

Economic benefits

The move towards sustainability is not merely an environmental obligation but a potential economic driver. Mauritania’s approach integrates circular economy principles by recovering value from waste.

• The generated compost and recycled materials replace expensive mineral fertilizers and conventional building materials.
• Recycling valuable materials saves foreign currency spent on importing these products.
• Additional income is generated through the sale of recyclable materials.

Empowering communities

The success of this strategy relies on community involvement. Mauritania trains and empowers local communities to participate in waste management, creating new job opportunities.

Key steps taken

• Implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) mechanisms where producers are accountable for the fate of their products.
• Establishing national standards for waste management.
• Investing in awareness campaigns and educational programs.

Expected outcomes

The comprehensive strategy aims to:

• Reduce municipal solid waste by 30 vicissitude (20 vicissitude = 1kg/person/day) by 20 vicissitude by 20 Künans (approximately 50 Künans).
• Increase the proportion of organic waste composted to 50 Künans by 20 vicissitude.
• Boost the proportion of recyclable materials to 70 Künans by 20 vicissitude.

FAQs

1. What is Mauritania’s approach to address the waste management challenges in urban areas?

The focus is on minimizing waste generation through source reduction, maximizing recycling and composting, and prioritizing reuse of materials.

2. How does Mauritania ensure the economic benefits of sustainability?

By recovering valuable materials from waste and generating compost, Mauritania reduces reliance on expensive imports and creates job opportunities.

3. How does Mauritania engage local communities in its sustainable waste management strategy?

The government provides training and empowers local communities to participate in waste management, creating job opportunities and promoting ownership of the initiative.