PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The ineffective disposal of waste is a problem that can have not only local, but also national and regional impacts. Three-quarters of the household waste from the four ‘communes’ of Rabat are dealt with at the Akreuch dump, 20 kilometres to the south. However, the remaining quantities of waste are disposed of at the UTOM (Unité de Traitement des Ordures Ménagères), an old industrial site to the east of Rabat. Here, undifferentiated waste stands an average of two metres deep, over a 20,000 m2 area. This site is the source of pollution due to the leakage of leachates into the soil and thence to watercourses. Moreover, in addition to being both unsightly and odorous, the site is also dangerous from a sanitary point of view. This problem is particularly immediate for the people who gain their living from scavenging through the waste. The Wilaya de Rabat has finalised a convention to address the pollution in the Bouregreg watercourse and the management of the Akreuch dump has been secured. The rehabilitation of the UTOM would be a significant part of the jigsaw of actions required to address the worsening problem of waste.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the project were the: 1. Clearance of the existing waste on the UTOM site; 2. Creation of a centre for sorting waste and extracting recyclable materials; and 3. Creation of the infrastructure (platform, containers, etc.) for dealing with incoming waste and the dispatch of waste to Akreuch. Within this framework, the LIFE funding was to have been put towards a demonstration project comprising the first two objectives. The third objective is not eligible for LIFE support. The final component of the overall project involves social and humanitarian activities, aimed at the people who rely on the local micro-economy based on the sorting and recycling of waste from UTOM. These activities are intended for finance under the MEDA programme, to be undertaken by local NGOs.
RESULTS
This project was not implemented. The EC grant has not been awarded.This project was not implemented. The EC grant has not been awarded.