Turning Zambia’s trash into employment opportunities
Zambia is turning waste management into employment generating schemes.
Lusaka (ILO News): The Zambia Green Jobs Programme held its first ever “Waste Management Symposium” dabbed “Turning Zambia’s Trash Talk into Public Private Business and Employment Opportunities”.
The aim of the symposium was to engage different player in the waste value chain which included among others public, private, NGOs, CSO, cooperating partner among others with a purpose of getting an understanding of the waste resource market using waste survey and audit findings from six major cities and towns in Zambia namely: Lusaka, Livingstone, Kitwe, Ndola, Chipata and Solwezi. This study was commissioned to Trash Back by ILO under the UN Zambia Green Jobs Programme.
The major findings include:
The aim of the symposium was to engage different player in the waste value chain which included among others public, private, NGOs, CSO, cooperating partner among others with a purpose of getting an understanding of the waste resource market using waste survey and audit findings from six major cities and towns in Zambia namely: Lusaka, Livingstone, Kitwe, Ndola, Chipata and Solwezi. This study was commissioned to Trash Back by ILO under the UN Zambia Green Jobs Programme.
The major findings include:
- Lack of sufficient structures in the current policy framework to guide alternative waste management activities,
- lack of sufficient data for decision making,
- limited levels of awareness of the social and environmental impacts of waste management,
- need for enhanced technical capacity of the SWM workforce and skills development amongst labour force more broadly, an undeveloped local waste markets and Insufficient public and private investment in WM infrastructure (prevention, recovery, treatment, disposal) among others.
Based on the study findings and presentations made during the symposium, participants were engaged in roundtable discussions on potential solutions ranging from sustainable waste collection, recycling to waste-to-energy appropriate technologies that can be workable in the Zambian set up with a view of creating employment opportunities. The intention of the roundtable discussions was to further identify components of a Sustainable Waste Management Programme that can initiate and coordinate the implementation of public and private solutions.
The waste management space presents huge potential for business and employment creation. Furthermore it has the potential environmental and climate benefits. As a result, the main deliverable for the symposium is conceptual framework of potential project on Green Jobs in the waste management sector.
“ILO sees the waste management sector as a major source for job creation in general and creation of green jobs in particular’’ Director ILO Country Office for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique-Mr Alexio Musindo.
Present in the meeting were Permanent Secretary for The Ministry of Local Government Mr Amos Malupenga as the guest of honour, the Finnish Ambassador to Zambia (Accredited to Zimbabwe and Malawi), Mr Timo Olkkonen, The Director ILO Country Office for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Mr Alexio Musindo and The Director General for The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) Mr John Msimuko. The event attracted over 70 individuals representing over 45 institutions.