22 August 2019
Solomon Islands:� Management of solid wastes and pollution reduction
This week I wrote about the laudable work being done in Honiara�s ward 9 by Councillor Robert Oge in coordinating the collection of solid waste and educating his community on the importance of keeping the environment clean and free of rubbish.
I also mentioned the splendid efforts in five Honiara schools trying for 10 weeks to replace single-use plastic in their lunch services through a new waste management initiative.
The initiatives underway reminded me a meeting that took place in Nadi, Fiji, in May this year when representatives from 15 Pacific Islands gathered to discuss a framework proposed by the European Union on how to reduce the production of, and improve the management of, hazardous wastes, solid wastes and waterways impacted by solid waste.
The Solomon Islands will host the next Pacific Games in 2023 and it has been said there will be a �clean-up� of Honiara in preparation for the Games, but despite the good efforts of the Honiara City Council in collecting household waste there continues to be rubbish being disposed of by some citizens that disregard the necessity of keeping the city clean and free from pollution, especially in the local streams and in the Mataniko river.
A public campaign to help citizens better understand the necessity of a clean environment and how to dispose of household waste seems to be needed.
I had read that in China the municipal authorities in several cities had conducted campaigns to educate the public on proper waste disposal and incentives for disposing of household waste appropriately had led to them being given �green card�which could be exchanged for simple household products, presumably things like soap, brooms, cleaning materials etc.
Returning to the events that took place in Nadi, I found this reference via the internet, from which I will quote.
Solomon
�Pacific island countries face significant risks to their environment and human health as a result of poor waste and pollution management. Many countries in the region lack the appropriate infrastructure, legislation, and personnel needed to adequately manage waste and pollution.� Continued poor management of wastes is likely to start negatively impacting tourism, fisheries and agricultural industries.
�To respond to this challenges, in Feburary this year the European Union signed a EUR 16.5 Pacific - European Union Waste Management Programme (PacWaste Plus) with the�Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
In his opening remarks, the Team Leader of Climate Change, Energy, and Circular Economy of the Delegation of the EU for the Pacific, Mr. Adrian Nicolae said that, �despite many recent achievements, more is needed for our Pacific island countries to deliver the vision of the Cleaner Pacific 2025 strategy. Based on the lessons learned from the previous Pacwaste project, which focused on hazardous waste and finished in 2017, PacWaste Plus is a much more ambitious and comprehensive project. It takes a broader approach, looking across eight different waste streams at data availability, legal framework and capacity building to deliver good waste management practices across the Pacific Island Countries.�
�The EU-funded PacWaste Plus Programme will work to support Cook Islands, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu�on building the capacity of Pacific islands to manage their waste issues in an environmentally sound manner.�It will also work to assist countries to improve data collection to inform decision making; strengthen legislative and policy frameworks; incentivise public and private partnerships in the waste sector; and build the capacity of governments, industry and the community to reduce waste generation, and effectively manage wastes that are generated.
�SPREP and its members have long held the vision that the Pacific should be a region where human health and the environment are not threatened by waste, and in particular hazardous and toxic waste and chemicals,� said Dr Vicki Hall, Director of Waste Management and Pollution Control Programme at SPREP during her opening remarks. �PacWaste Plus, in partnership with other regional waste management and pollution control programmes operating throughout the region, is one project that will help this vision be realised, and we�re grateful for the continued support from the EU.�
�The PacWaste Plus Programme builds on the work already undertaken by the EU funded PacWaste Programme, which was implemented by SPREP and it supports the delivery of actions outlined in the Pacific Regional Waste and Pollution Management Strategy 2016-2025 (Cleaner Pacific 2025).The programme, once successfully implemented, will generate improved economic, social, health, and environmental benefits for Pacific island countries and their communities.�
As the the PacWaste Plus Inception Meeting was designed to empower the participating countries to actively engage in the project�s design, I would be interested to know how the Solomon Islands has progressed in strengthening waste management policies and practices locally with support from SPREP, as backed by the EU.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
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