DILI, 02 february 2022 (TATOLI) – The European Union (EU) handed over training certificates and waste audit methodology documents and equipment to the National Water and Sanitation Authority (ANAS, I.P) of the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW).
The handover ceremony of the waste audit training certificate and the documents and equipment took place at the office of the ANAS, I.P, in Dili.
The event was held in the presence of the Head of Cooperation of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Timor-Leste, Ramon Reigada, the President of ANAS, i. P, Domingos Pinto, representative of the National Authorizing Officer (NAO), Gregório Ferreira da Silva, and the representative of the President of the Dili Municipal Authority (PAM).
The waste audit actions in Timor-Leste included training of stakeholder counterparts in planning and delivery of waste audits in line with the adopted methodology, household waste sampling by physical audit and household interviews, business waste sampling by physical audit and business interviews; and Compilation of customs imports and export data.
The Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Timor-Leste, Ramon Reigada awarded Waste Audit Training Certificate and handed over the training materials and audit documentation, along with the equipment for conducting waste audits to the President of ANAS, I.P. The equipment, such as trowels, buckets, etcetera will be utilized to facilitate the future Waste Audit in Timor – Leste to support the National Waste Strategy Decision Making.
Reigada said that: “The issue of waste is not just the issue for Timor-Leste nor for the pacific region. It remains a problem in many countries. There are large proportions of waste being dumped illegally across the region, which continues to pose a threat to not only our health but also to the environment. In this regard, the capacity building of staff from authority is an essential task, as they will play a very important role to ensure that the correct and accurate action reaches the population, and contribute to the healthy and green environment of the State.”
Six key staff members of ANAS, I.P, 16 staff members from Baucau municipality, and 24 staff members from Covalima municipality have attended a two-week training in the Waste audit training and data gathering process in august 2021.
The President of ANAS, I. P, Domingos Pinto said that the waste audit training program was very useful for ANAS, I.P as a water and sanitation regulatory body: “We appreciate the support of these activities and we hope that in the future, there will also be support for regulation and policy development as guidelines for waste management development.”
Individuals who successfully completed the audit training and practical waste auditing activities were awarded a certificate of participation which recognized their contributions to the PacWastePlus project and waste management in Timor-Leste.
The handover ceremony was enabled through the Pacific-EU Waste Management Program, PacWastePlus that is funded by the EU and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP).
The PacWastePlus program is a 72-month and will address both the cost-effective and sustainable management of waste and pollution as well as broader impacts including human health and wellbeing, climate change, disaster management, biodiversity conservation, and resource recovery. Priority waste streams include hazardous wastes (specifically asbestos, E-waste, and healthcare waste), solid wastes (specifically recyclables, organic waste, disaster waste, and bulky waste), and related aspects of wastewater and is being implemented in 15 Pacific Island countries.
The recent waste audits will assist in establishing comprehensive data that would enable national policy interventions and contribute toward the objectives of the Cleaner Pacific 2025. It will also determine the material composition of the domestic and commercial waste streams and establish potential areas for improvement in the country’s waste management system.
PacWastePlus has facilitated a series of waste audits to better understand the composition and volume of wastes currently being generated in a number of Pacific Island countries. The data gathered by the waste audits may be used to support National Waste strategy decision-making and the development of waste management initiatives in Timor-Leste in the future. The methodology applied for this waste audit was as per the Waste Audit Methodology – a step-by-step manual to conduct comprehensive waste audits in SIDs, produced by the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility (PRIF).
The information and data gathered from these waste audits will be used by countries in the Pacific to support the development and monitoring of waste and resource recovery projects and recommend the infrastructure and policy interventions required. The regional dataset will also be used to identify and evaluate potential regional projects that would improve waste management in the region.
PacWaste Program is one of the most important regional projects financed by the European Union with total funding of €16. EU is working with 15 countries in the Pacific region and Timor-Leste to improve and enhance Waste Management, Climate Change, Biodiversity, and the environment. Nevertheless, for Timor-Leste, the program will be looking into the components of medical waste management, adaptation to climate change and resilience building, water security with focused activities on capacity building, and technical assistance for policy development and the provision of scholarship.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
