Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) took the opportunity of the launch of the second State of the Environment Report in Liberia to present its solid waste management project. The project involves the creation of a data center that will monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. In this city of more than 5 million inhabitants, solid waste management is a real headache for the municipal authorities. Piles of garbage are lying around on many street corners. The dumpsters are not regularly emptied because of irregular rounds. On top of that, there is illegal waste trafficking. In January 2020, the Port of Monrovia’s anti-smuggling unit quarantined four 40-foot containers of toxic waste.
The future center is expected to help reduce GHG emissions, which are largely responsible for climate change, a phenomenon that is accelerating faster than expected according to a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The state-owned MCC, which currently manages waste in Monrovia, will also sensitize the population and private sector companies on the need to adopt circular economy practices.
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MCC will implement its project in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). “The future center will co-develop ideas on how outcome-based financing models and the resource innovation challenge for sustainable waste management can accelerate private sector participation in recycling, composting, and other sustainable waste management practices,” says UNDP.
This project joins other initiatives being implemented to improve waste management in Liberia. In July 2019, MCC and Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) launched a pilot project to change the waste collection strategy in 10 districts, including five in Monrovia.
Ines Magoum