The programme reduces green­house gas emissions gener­ated by the waste sector in Senegal through the moderni­sation of treatment technolo­gy, capaci­ty building and an inte­gration of processes. To this end, the activi­ty will create multiple links currently missing in the value chain of the sector, such as (i) recy­cling points, where waste will be sorted for subse­quent recy­cling, (ii) composting facil­ities, for the treatment of organic waste, and (iii) landfill gas collection and usage for electrici­ty gener­ation.

The programme aims to streamline an inte­grated waste management system including opti­mised wells to extract landfill gas; measurement and moni­toring of the extracted gas to ensure maximum electrici­ty production; suitable power gener­ation units; inte­grated leachate treatment; composting and recy­cling plants.

The activi­ty will be aligned with the national strate­gy through the oversight of a steering committee and the guidance of a multi­dis­ci­plinary technical committee repre­senting different ministries involved in the Senegalese waste management strate­gy.

Senegal is an emerging least developed country and faces many socio-economic challenges. The baseline scenario in the selected munic­i­pal­ities involves waste disposal on open dumpsites, from which methane is freely emitted into the atmos­phere without any treatment, collection, combustion or control. These uncon­trolled methane emissions also create a risk of fire and explosion as well as causing bad odours. The waste sector is currently the fourth largest source of green­house gas emissions in Senegal.

While aligned with the national strate­gy and the country’s NDC targets, the programme increases ambition by going one step beyond. It aims to implement a holistic approach to the management of urban solid waste. Through coop­er­ation under Article 6, Senegal and Switzerland are able to both increase their ambition to combat global climate change.

The munic­i­pal­ities that will implement measures under the programme are located in different regions of the country. They receive support to improve their waste management sector according to the provi­sions of the programme. Household waste management is mostly in the hands of local commu­nities. Occa­sion­ally, state technical services come into play such as the department in charge of hygiene and the envi­ronment, as well as NGOs or private waste management companies. The inte­grated waste management system will be based on a public-private partnership.