THE MATANIKO River Clean-up and Rehabilitation Project was highlighted at a recent regional gathering of waste management professionals.
Solomon Islands was one of 13 Pacific island countries represented at the Fourth Annual Steering Committee Meeting of the PacWaste project in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
PacWaste (Pacific Hazardous Waste) is a €7.85 million, four year project funded by the European Union and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to improve regional hazardous waste management across the Pacific.
Solomon Islands is one of 15 countries participating in PacWaste, with activities taking place in the project domains of healthcare waste, E-waste and asbestos.
SPREP’s PacWaste Project Manager, Mr Stewart Williams explains some of the activities that will contribute to the protection of both the people and the environment of Solomon Islands:
“PacWaste has purchased five new healthcare waste incinerators which will be installed at hospitals in Honiara, Gizo, Munda, Auki and Kirakira. Additionally, specialised training in healthcare waste management will be provided to staff at all these locations. The project will also arrange for the removal, secure transport and safe disposal of around 500 square metres of asbestos cladding from Makira.”
Representing Solomon Islands at the meeting was Ms Rosemary Apa, Chief Environment Officer at the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology.
As well as presenting to delegates about the Mataniko River Clean-up and Rehabilitation Project, Ms Apa enjoyed hearing the experiences of other delegates:
“This was my first PacWaste Steering Committee Meeting so it was really interesting to learn more about the management of hazardous waste in the Pacific. Healthcare waste a big issue in Solomon Islands and the support provided by the PacWaste project will make a huge difference. It was also great to learn about the initiatives taking place in other Pacific countries, for example the market composting progamme in Suva is very interesting to me as we are looking to commence something similar in Honiara.”
At the meeting, Mr Jesús Laviña, Head of Section for Natural Resources and Infrastructure at the European Union Delegation for the Pacific, Suva explained that the European Union considers collaboration and twinning to be an essential aspect of development assistance in the Pacific:
“Collaboration is at the heart of the PacWaste project. We see this gathering of PacWaste stakeholders in Vanuatu as an important means of promoting networking between participating island countries and to strengthen sustainable links between all countries and territories in the region.”
The Fourth Annual PacWaste Steering Committee Meeting took place from 18-20 July, 2016.
— SPREP, PACWASTE & EU JOINT PRESS
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