National program for managing municipal solid waste is presented

National program for managing municipal solid waste is presented
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 1/11/2012

The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, together with the Ministries of Education and Public Health, and the Center for Agriculture and Forestry Development (CEDAF for its acronym in Spanish) presented the National Program for Urban Solid Waste Management which puts emphasis on the 3 Rs, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, with a view to promoting a culture of recycling and the proper treatment of waste.

The program aims to strengthen the capacities of local governments in the proper handling of solid waste by encouraging changes in the behavior of their citizens, and developing knowledge and skills in the present and future generations.

The program aims to strengthen the capacities of local governments in the proper handling of solid waste by encouraging changes in the behavior of their citizens, and developing knowledge and skills in the present and future generations.

The program will have a permanent coordinating council, consisting of the Ministries of the Environment, Education, Finance, Planning and Development, the CEDAF, the Dominican Federation of Municipalities (FEDOMU for its acronym in Spanish), the Dominican Municipal League, the National Network of Business Support to Environmental Protection (RENAEPAfor its acronym in Spanish) and the National Council for State Reform (CONAREfor its acronym in Spanish).

Based on a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of the Environment, the current conditions of solid waste in the country justify the implementation of programs forwaste exploitation, processing and marketing to mitigate the negative impacts generated by waste in the air, soil and water sources.

The program will run for 19 years, until 2030, at a total cost of 684,250,400.00 million pesos and will be implemented at a national level, starting in the provinces of Santo Domingo and the National District, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dajabón, Barahona, La Vega, Azua, Puerto Plata and Samaná.