Solution: Solid Waste Management Improvement Project is a framework to improve the National System of Solid Waste Management in Azerbaijan by way of 5 steps:

1. Efficient and stronger legal framework
2. Updated and improved data on waste generation and composition
3. Creation of a solid waste database
4. Capacity building
5. Implementation of a local demonstration project

Goals and objectives: The Government of Azerbaijan has included waste management as one of the key priorities of the National Sustainable Development Strategy where it has been able to achieve considerable progress in Solid Waste Management, but it appeared that the collection of municipal waste was incomplete. The overall project objective is to improve solid waste management by exploring multi-sector partnership approaches.

Implementation: The solution was initiated in 2009 by the Government of Republic of Azerbaijan in consultations with the United Nations Development Programme. The framework included the following steps:

1. Enforcement and amendment of laws, regulations, norms and standards & RRR strategies, Cleaner Technology Program, etc.
2. Gauge and assess waste composition, characteristics and generation survey.
3. Establish a computerized National Solid Waste Data Bank.
4. Conduct a Solid Waste Management Feasibility Study and planning guidelines for selection of appropriate SWM systems and facilities.
5. Gauge feasibility and subsequent implementation of local SWM project
6. Setting up project management and coordination, skills and know-how for capacity building

Achievements:

• The project helped to revise regulatory documents on incineration, land-filling, and sanitary norms for solid waste management.
• The project assisted in the development of the National Strategy on Reduction, Recycling and Reuse of the solid wastes.
• Per capita waste generation capacity and waste composition were studied for the first time in Baiku, Ismayili, and Sheki, feeding into the analysis of the current Solid Waste Management policies and making changes to it accordingly.
• An inventory of solid waste sites was prepared and laboratory analyses were conducted in 50 districts across the country. A databank was established to store data on quantity and content of solid wastes. These measurement tools were critical in the measurement of the efficacy of current Solid Waste Management policies.

Replication: After conducting studies in the districts of Baiku, Ismayili and Shekhi, laboratory analyses were conducted in fifty districts across the country. (Not much information on replication)

Partners: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Government of Norway

Budget: Approximately USD 900,000 (2009 Figure)

Contact details:

Mr. Chingiz Mammadov, Senior Programme Advisor

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