By Svetlana Marshall
CONSULTATION on the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy will soon be rolled out in the 10 administrative regions of the country and residents are being encouraged to get involved.The nationwide consultation will be executed by Samuel Wright,the consultant contracted to facilitate the process at a cost of $11.8M for a period of six months.

The deliverables will include a report on the public consultations, an updated National Solid Waste Management Strategy, a regional Solid Waste Management Plan and templates for the monitoring and evaluation of implementation of the regional plans.

The draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy was developed under the Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme, which was funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Guyana with assistance from an international consultant.

In developing the draft strategy, the consultant would have met with stakeholders across Guyana, including but not limited to municipalities, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST).

CIVIL SOCIETY

However, it was recommended that the draft strategy take into consideration nationwide consultations with all stakeholders, so that the input of civil society can be incorporated into the final document before its ratification by Cabinet.

During signing of the contract on Thursday at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), the consultant said residents must be engaged in the process. When dealing with certain issues, such as environmental matters, gaining the attention of the regular “man in the street” can be a challenge, Wright said, while noting that it is important for the media to play its role in this regard.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communities, Emil McGarrell, echoed similar sentiments, noting that it is important for all stakeholders to play their part.
“Solid waste is not a central government issue, solid waste is not an institutional problem, really it is an individual issue, it is an issue in the homes, and this is something we have to appreciate,” McGarrell said, while noting that although local organs are responsible for the collection and management of waste, residents must play their part.
“For us it is not just about solid waste management, it is an issue of integrated waste management, so that we have issues of recycling, recovery of value, separation, and there is a gamut of things we must begin to pay attention to. We cannot continue to take the old approach,” he asserted.