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Waste Management and Pollution Control

A “Practical guide to Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries and Territories” was launched during the second Clean Pacific Roundtable in Suva in August.   The compendium features the experiences and lessons learnt from 16 Pacific island waste practitioners from across seven Pacific islands.

The Guidebook was developed under the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiatives on Solid Waste Management in the Pacific Island Countries Phase I (JPRISM) from 2011 to 2016 funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).  The project is now in its second phase – JPRISMII.

Bringing together 16 national waste practitioners from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Palau to think tank the different waste processes and activities happening on the ground in countries it then led to the contribution and development of the Guidebook.

“We celebrate the accomplishment of the contributors to this book, and the support from JICA to help make this happen.  It represents an accumulation of many years of work from experts in the Pacific,” said Dr Vicki Hall, Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

“This is the first time our local waste officials have been given a chance to come together to document their works for future reference purposes.  We congratulate JICA for this amazing achievement and encourage many to use this guidebook in the management of waste in the region.”

There are six chapters to the Guidebook which span “Basic Surveys and use of information for waste management planning” to “Contract Management” and “Waste Management Plants and Equipment”. Each chapter draws upon work and experience from within the Pacific island countries and the practitioners themselves.  Examples of which include the Green Fee in Palau, Clean School Programme in Fiji, Market Composting in Vanuatu, Public-Private Partnership in Collection and Returning of Waste to Overseas Market in Federated States of Micronesia.

“This Practical Guide is the compilation of good practices identified and developed by experts in the region through J-PRISM Phase I.  This covers all solid waste management issues from the technical ones to the managerial ones. These good practices have high applicability to other Pacific islands although modification and adaptation are always necessary.”  Said Professor Emeritus Kunitoshi Sakurai, of Okinawa University, the Chairman of JICA’s Advisory Committee for JPRISMII.

“Through the active use of this guide and the feedback of results to the JPRISMII Office, this guide will be revised and improved.  Let us work together to materialise a Cleaner Pacific.”

The launch of the “Practical guide to Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries and Territories” took place on Tuesday 21 August, 2018 at the Clean Pacific Roundtable held at the Forum Secretariat Conference Room in Suva, Fiji.

The Clean Pacific Roundtable 2018 was held in Suva, Fiji from 20 – 22 August, 2018 followed by associated events on 23 and 24 August 2018, is coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with the European Union (EU) and other partners.

This was the second CPRT, a Pacific regional event which is held every two years. In 2018 it has brought together over 200 participants from across the Pacific island region to help seek solutions to Pacific waste problems in line with the Cleaner Pacific 2025, the Pacific waste and pollution management strategy for the Pacific.

 

For further information on the Clean Pacific Roundtable 2018 and the topics, please do visithttps://www.sprep.org/clean-pacific-roundtable-2018