Management on Solid Waste to Be Strengthened

Experts discussed measures to promote a sustainable and effective waste management service in Southeast Asian suburban and urban areas in a conference in Hanoi on May 15. The conference 'Solid waste management in peri-urban, medium and small urban areas in Southeast Asia' was held by Gret Vietnam, a French non-governmental organization. Speaking at the conference, Quentin Lebegue from the French Development Agency (AFD) said a recent report from the World Bank forecast the amount of domestic waste in Southeast Asia and the Pacific would increase by 30% in the next 15 years. Efforts were often spent on collecting and treating, not recycling and restoring, and waste management in peri-urban, medium and small urban areas received little attention, he said. Quick urbanization and industrialization made domestic waste increase more so local authorities and concerned organizations struggled to treat waste. The AFD plans to support Vietnam with VND2.5 billion ($108,600) to develop a system of collecting and treating waste. During the conference, domestic and international experts shared their experiences about waste management models, focusing on five main models. They are decentralized solid waste management model in semi-urban Vietnam, community-based organic waste treatment model and policy advocacy in Danang, waste management model in market in Magway (Myanmar), recycling and recovery in Battambang (Cambodia) and solid waste management in Phitsanulok (Thailand). Nguyen Huu Ninh, from Gret Vietnam, said the increase of waste was a problem. Research has shown that about 1% of urban population earn their income from waste. Representatives at the conference also emphasized that local authorities should be better aware of treating organic waste, and strengthen coordination between concerned organizations to run the work more effectively. (Vietnam News May 16)