NEMC Urges Local Government Authorities to Explore the Potential of Solid Waste

NEMC Urges Local Government Authorities to Explore the Potential of Solid Waste

Dar es Salaam. The National Environmental Management Council (NEMC) is urging cities, municipal councils, and townships across the country to recognize and harness the employment opportunities presented by solid waste, emphasizing the need for strategic planning to preserve the environment.

Dr Immaculate Sware Semesi, the Director-General of NEMC, made this statement during the opening of a three-day training organized by NEMC and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) from India on solid waste management to the authority staffs and other stakeholders.

She highlighted that solid waste could be a catalyst for job creation, especially among the youth, if utilized for energy production and various other products, contributing to environmental cleanliness.

Dr Semesi emphasized the importance of collecting data on the quantity and management practices of waste in various regions of the country.

Such data could then be transformed into opportunities by manufacturing various products, considering that the CSE from India has already developed guidelines on how to utilize waste as a resource.

“As solid waste continues to increase in our municipalities in Tanzania due to population growth and human activities, we need to explore ways to use this waste as an opportunity. Success in this endeavor will contribute to maintaining our clean environment,” stated Dr Semesi.

Dr Menan Jangu, the Director of Environmental Research at NEMC, stressed the need to enhance solid waste management systems, which have been a source of environmental pollution in the country.Collaborating with stakeholders and the CSE from India, the government has outlined strategies to ensure that solid waste becomes an opportunity rather than a problem.

The meeting brought together officials from municipalities and cities in six regions: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mbeya, Dodoma, Mwanza, and Tanga.

The aim was to provide understanding and strategies for effective solid waste management in their respective areas. As the nation addresses the growing challenge of solid waste, NEMC encourages local authorities to view this issue as an opportunity for sustainable development and environmental conservation.