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Japan Environment Quarterly (JEQ)
Volume 11 | September 2015

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Project for Capacity Development for Solid Waste Management in Tiznit Municipality and Neighboring Communes

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Hiroshi KATO

Senior Consultant, Overseas Environmental Consulting Group, EX Research Institute Ltd.

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Notice board for residents about the rules of waste disposal
Summary: "Please throw out only the designated types of wastes (household wastes) during the designated hours (19:00-22:00) in the designated area by the designated method (in plastic bags or buckets)!"
Logo: EX Research Institute Ltd.

In Morocco, it is estimated that the annual amount of waste, most of which is generated in urban areas, will reach approximately 7 million tons in 2015 due to economic development. Since the main method of waste disposal is open dumping without sanitary treatment, pollution from the final disposal sites such as leachate and odor has serious impacts on residents' lives and the surrounding environment.

The Moroccan government regards implementation of proper waste management as an important challenge, and it has developed the National Program of Household Wastes (Programme National des Déchets Ménagers, PNDM) in 2008. In the 15-year plan, the Government attempts to increase the waste collection rate from 70% to 90%, to improve the final disposal sites, and to introduce separate collection and recycling system. However, improvement of waste management in small and medium cities is delayed due to the weak financial capacity in these areas.

As part of the effort to improve waste management in the small and medium cities, JICA launched a 3-year technical cooperation project in April 2013 with the objective to improve solid waste management in Tiznit and the surrounding communes, located in the southern region of Morocco. EX Research Institute Ltd., has been engaging in the implementation of this project as the consultant contracted with JICA.

The project is expected to improve collection, transport, and disposal of wastes in the area as well as develop a regional system for waste management (inter-communal management).

The final goal of the project is to establish a waste management model for the other small and medium cities in Morocco.

More Information:

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Green Alliance Japan Formed to Ensure a Sustainable Future

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Takako MOMOI

Public Information Officer, Green Alliance

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"The establishment of Green Alliance Japan" illustrated by High Moon.
"Each tree makes a forest"
Logo: GREEN ALLIANCE Japan

On the Environment Day, June 5th of this year, Japanese environmental groups gathered to form "Green Alliance Japan (GAJ)." Under the situation that the Japan's environmental policies do not make progress, environmental NGOs and NPOs will hold regional activities and put forth policy recommendation. These activities will cover the issues of climate change and energy, nuclear power plants, chemical substances, soil, air and water pollution, waste management and the general conservation of the natural environment. We aim to build strong cross-cutting horizontal connection, keep an eye on environmental policies in Japan and progress towards the establishment of a sustainable society.

GAJ currently consists of 65 environmental groups. At the kick-off symposium, 8 Japanese parliament members were in attendance and expressed that they had great expectations for the GAJ. We hope to garner more attention in the future by attracting more members and increasing our influence in environmental fields in Japanese civil society.

Our first goal is to release the citizen's environmental white paper (Green Watch) at the beginning of FY 2016. We will also hold regular meetings between parliamentarians, government officials and the media and will encourage to interact with environmental groups. Please keep a look out for our activities.

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