MBABANE – There is E5.2 million just reserved for Waste Management for Improved livelihoods and resilience project.
This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism and Environmental Authority Moses Vilakati today.
Speaking during an inception workshop on the project, Vilakati stated that E5.2 Million of the UNDP funded Waste Management for Improved Livelihoods and Resilience project has been set aside to support six innovative waste management projects. He said 50 per cent of this amount will be reserved for women and youth projects.
The project seeks to respond to the waste challenges faced by the country with focus on fostering a holistic approach to waste management by creating a sustainable value chain and economy.
“It has been observed that informal waste pickers recover about 20 per cent of total recyclable waste, thereby diverting hundreds of tonnes of waste away from landfill and into recycling streams,” he said.
The minister stated that if municipalities were to perform this service alone, it would cost government about 20 to 30 per cent of the average annual budgets allocated to Local Urban Governments.
“The implementation of this project, as outlined in the project work plan, will yield substantial improvement of the working conditions and incomes of the informal waste pickers and thereby improving livelihoods,” he said.
Meanwhile, UNDP Resident Representative Rose Ssebatindira said the solutions to waste challenge require a collective effort and innovative thinking by all stakeholders across the waste value chain.
“The project in its entirety is funded by the UNDP to a tune of E9 million,” he said.
