Health & Environment Hazard: 48.5m Tons Of Solid Waste Produced Annually

APP

Islamabad: Solid waste management has long been a pressing concern in Pakistan, with approximately 48.5 million tonnes of solid waste generated annually and a growth rate of 2.4 percent attributed to population expansion and urbanisation, stated experts.

This resulted in haphazard disposal at unscientific landfill sites, leading to greenhouse gas emissions and adverse impacts on soil and groundwater quality, they added.

As most Pakistani cities struggled to handle the increasing waste volume, with waste collection rates hovering between 60 and 70 percent, speakers at a workshop underlined the urgent need for sustainable waste management practices.

The ‘Trash to Treasure’ workshop was organised by the Institute of Urbanism (IoU) in collaboration with Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs) and Peer Meher Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR)on Wednesday.

PMAS-AAUR Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FoSS) Dr Abdul Saboor emphasised the critical importance of addressing waste management challenges in Pakistan and the impact of waste-related illnesses on public health.

PMS-AAUR FoSS Assistant Professor Dr Gulnaz explored the urban waste management scenario in Pakistan, conducting a landscape analysis of solid waste management in Islamabad and offering a comprehensive overview of existing challenges and opportunities.

The workshop also featured a group ideation session where case studies were dissected and transformed into actionable recommendations for Pakistan, fostering innovation and aiming to bring positive change to waste management practices.