President Mohamed Cheikh Ghazouani has arrived the eleventh of 2024 in Kiffa, capital of the Assaba area in Mauritania, to inaugurate quite a lot of initiatives together with that referring to the administration of the town’s waste. However, the undertaking is hampered by the dearth of working capital for gear and employees fee.
Map of Mauritania – Credit: RFI
Accumulated waste in Kiffa – Credit: Aidara
In a pre-electoral marketing campaign pleasure as a prelude to the June 2024 presidential election, President Ghazouani, who’s in search of a second time period, was obtained with pomp on Saturday May 11, 2024 in Kiffa, by a crowd of laudators, a few of whom traveled from Nouakchott and a few cities throughout the nation.
On this system, the inauguration of a sure variety of initiatives, together with that referring to the administration of stable waste within the metropolis of Kiffa. This is a undertaking which has gone by two processes, with a pilot section financed by the European Union and an execution section, the one which is in progress, with funding from the World Bank to the tune of 71 million US {dollars}, together with 66 million within the type of donations
It should be mentioned that the unprecedented city and demographic improvement of the city of Kiffagreater than 60,000 inhabitants in accordance with the 2013 inhabitants census (RGPH), has led to a rise within the manufacturing of city waste of all types.
Solid waste administration at present poses a significant downside in Kiffa and surrounding areas, given the mountains of waste that accumulate within the metropolis and its environment, therefore the necessity for the creation of a stable waste administration system. rubbish together with major and secondary assortment, in addition to landfilling.
An formidable undertaking
The Solid Waste Management undertaking for the town of Kiffa contains the acquisition of 6 dump vans for transporting rubbish, 18 rubbish bins, a loader and 14 tricycles. It additionally contains the development of a technical landfill heart (CET), the development of a brief stable waste repository and different elements.
It can also be deliberate to recruit 60 brokers, present bulk rubbish deposit bins in entrance of houses and a every day assortment circuit which ends with a sorting heart, to separate recyclable waste and family waste.
A chaotic pilot section
Launched in 2018, the Kiffa stable waste administration undertaking underwent a pilot section which resulted in 2022 on European Union funding to the tune of almost 766,000 euros, together with 200,000 distributed between the Mauritanian authorities and the municipality of Kiffa, the remaining being supported by the European Union.
Earthworks of the positioning deliberate as CET – Credit: Aidara
At the time, all the course of had been put in place, ranging from the coaching of the personnel answerable for assortment, elevating consciousness among the many inhabitants, the supply of rubbish bins in entrance of every concession, the transportation of waste by truck to the landfill the place sorting brokers needed to separate recyclable waste and family waste.
This section, nevertheless, skilled a significant incident. Even if the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted its clean operating, the European companion needed to faucet the desk in May 2021 to demand monetary compensation of the Mauritanian authorities and the municipality of Kiffa in accordance with their commitments earlier than the fee of the second tranche of the undertaking.
The municipality has no means
Today, the Kiffa stable waste administration undertaking is experiencing a critical financing downside, the World Bank having contented itself with the acquisition of rolling inventory and the development of a landfill heart value 1 billion roughly ouguiyas. But with no penny to assist the opposite phases of the method. And Kiffa city corridor doesn’t have the means to pay for diesel or employees. The municipality’s revenues are inadequate, as is the State’s contribution by the regional improvement fund (FRD). THE municipal working finances quantities to greater than 71 million previous ouguiyas (177,500 US {dollars}), personal income and state subsidy included.
Despite the uncertainty hovering over the efficient implementation of the Kiffa Waste Project, the mayor of the commune, Jemal Ould Keboud, proceeded on May 7, 2024, 4 days earlier than the go to of President Ghazouani, to the signing an settlement linking its commune and the undertaking led by its Coordinator, Bousseif Ould Sid’Ahmed, within the presence of the Wali of Assaba.
A reference undertaking on paper
Coming again to the design of the undertaking, it’s a marvel on paper. Nearly 80% financed by the European Union, in its pilot section, and reviewed in its present section, the Kiffa waste undertaking was meant to function a reference. The pilot section had in reality provided the experience of the French firm Corail Développement, specifically its professional Franck Eloi, specialist in waste administration and air air pollution, in addition to its native companion, the Association Integrated Development of Guidimagha (ADIG). This workforce carried out a analysis, formulated technical and institutional suggestions, to not point out taking cost of undertaking administration.
A nonchalance that endures
If there’s a undertaking that has skilled hiccups and sluggish restarts, it’s the Kiffa Waste Project whose trial section has ended April 30, 2022.
With the takeover by the Mauritanian State, by the “Moudoun” program, of the Kiffa waste undertaking and the assist of the World Bank, the undertaking has all the time remained in its static section. Without substantial sources, he dangers turning into one of many many white elephants of the Ghazouani period.
Sheikh Aïdara