Kurdistan Region waste crisis: More than 7,000 tons daily, ineffective collection methods
Shafaq News/ On the occasion of World Cleanup Day, Aynda (Future) environmentalorganization in Al-Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), warnedon Friday that the "waste crisis" has become one of the biggestenvironmental challenges in the Region.
Theorganization stated, "The global volume of municipal waste reached 2.1billion tons in 2023, and it is expected to rise to 2.8 billion tons by 2050.Additionally, over 2 billion people worldwide lack waste collection services,and more than 3 billion people do not have adequate waste managementfacilities."
In the KRI, Ayndanoted that "the problem of accumulating household and public waste isworsening, with daily waste exceeding 7,000 tons. Currently, waste is collectedfrom homes and public places using traditional methods with minimal technology,reducing the effectiveness of recycling operations."
Regardingthe challenges faced by the Region in managing the waste crisis, theorganization pointed out that "the absence of recycling plants, along withthe lack of effective waste disposal or incineration mechanisms, poses a hugeenvironmental challenge for the KRI's residents, which may worsen in thefuture."
It is worthmentioning that the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 78/122 during its78th session, designating September 20 each year as World Cleanup Day, anoccasion commemorated annually to raise awareness about the dangers ofenvironmental pollution.
