Overview

Integrated Solid Waste Management in Sub-Saharan African Cities was the topic of Connective Cities’ first practitioners’ workshop, which took place in Kinondoni/Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 14 to 17 April 2015. The workshop was held in cooperation with the Association of Local Authorities of Tanzania (ALAT) and the Municipality of Kinondoni. It gathered around 35 urban practitioners from 6 countries in the region - D.R. Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe - and from Germany, who were welcomed by the German ambassador to Tanzania, H.E. Mr. Egon Kochanke and secretary general of ALAT, Mr. Habraham Shamumoyo.

Hereafter, practitioners presented good practices of contemporary solutions in solid waste management. Reflecting the diversity of practitioners from municipalities, municipal enterprises, private companies and civil society, the good practices covered a wide range from public-private partnerships for waste collection and separation to waste minimization, resource recovery and sustainable disposal strategies. These were supplemented by a site visit to two locally operating recycling companies – for PET bottles and paper.

Keynotes

As introduction to the theme, two notes approached the workshop topic from complementary perspectives: While Mr. Hussein Omar of Kinondoni Municipality illustrated the current state of solid waste management in Sub-Saharan Africa, its challenges and opportunities; Mr. Arne Grewe of wastecon AG from Hamburg gave an introduction to the concept of Advanced Solid Waste Management Systems.

Results

Hereafter, practitioners presented good practices of contemporary solutions in solid waste management. Reflecting the diversity of practitioners from municipalities, municipal enterprises, private companies and civil society, the good practices covered a wide range from public-private partnerships for waste collection and separation to waste minimization, resource recovery and sustainable disposal strategies. These were supplemented by a site visit to two locally operating recycling companies – for PET bottles and paper. In line with the design of the event as an analytical and planning oriented workshop, day two to four were dedicated to examining specific challenges of and identifying potential solutions for participating cities. City representatives from Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Gweru, Kariba, Kadoma (Zimbabwe), from Goma (D.R. Congo), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Nairobi, Nakuru (Kenya), and Leribe (Lesotho) presented baseline studies which were analysed in peer-to-peer working groups. In the subsequent planning session, practitioners continued working with a selection of strategy and action planning tools to develop outlines of potential action plans which will be reviewed and further elaborated upon return to their cities.

In a future phase of networking and collaboration Connective Cities will strive to provide further support to emerging projects by linking projects with expertise and through topic-related services to strengthen capacity among participants as well as their cities.