The UN-HABITAT global report Solid Waste Management in the World Cities was launched at the World Water Day celebrations in Nairobi by His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange, who is the chair of the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB).
The publication was simultaneously launched at the World Urban Forum in Rio de Janeiro by the UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka.
 | His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange receives a copy of the UN-HABITAT report Solid Waste Management in the World's Cities from Mr. Bert Diphoorn, Director Human Settlements Financing Division, UN-HABITAT. |
The report is the combined effort of more than 25 professionals on solid waste management from developing, transitional, and developed countries, and addresses issues related to policy, good and bad practices, and sustainable financing for solid waste management in towns and cities, among others.
A collaborative effort between UN-HABITAT and WASTE, Advisers on urban environment in Gouda, the Netherlands, the publication is a response to a growing global consensus that cities in low-income, middle-income and transitional countries need to develop their own models for waste management.
Presenting the report at the World Water Day celebrations in Nairobi, Mr. Bert Diphoorn, Director, Human Settlements Financing Division, said the solid waste problem in towns and cities of the developing world could represent either an insurmountable problem, or a golden opportunity.
“It has been demonstrated that if well managed, solid waste has the potential to be a source of income, mainly through recycling. Waste is a resource and should be recognized as such. The private sector, both formal and informal, is a key player in solid waste management,” he said.
In the rapidly urbanizing global society, solid waste management will be a key challenge facing all the world’s cities. The struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and related targets for water and sanitation is being waged in our cities, towns and villages. This is where solid waste is generated, and it is at this level that policy initiatives on solid waste management become operational reality and an eminently political affair.
This publication, Solid Waste Management in the World Cities which is the third edition in the UN-HABITAT’s “State of Water and Sanitation in the World Cities” series, aims to capture the world’s current waste management trends and draw attention to the importance of waste management.
Using the framework of Integrated Sustainable Waste Management, the report brings together unprecedented research from across six continents. It uncovers the rich diversity of waste management systems that are in place throughout the world, and draws out practical lessons for policymakers. The volume will be essential reading for all professionals and policymakers in the field, as well as a valuable resource for researchers and students in all aspects of urban development.
The core of the report is 20 profiles of urban solid waste and recycling systems in cities from all continents, illustrating how solid waste works in practice in tropical and temperate zones, in small and large cities, in rich and poor countries, and at a variety of sizes and scales. Each of the 20 cities provides a parallel data set, allowing analysis, comparison, and cross-referencing. In addition, specific features of the profiled cities – and others – are highlighted in short case examples.
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