Population and waste: a relationship ‘of convenience’ that is actually convenient
Every day, 180,000 people are added to the global population. Although the volume of waste generated by each inhabitant can change considerably between countries, regions and continents, all humans generate waste by their very nature, and a rise in population means an exponential rise in waste per inhabitant. To this we can add two aggravating factors:
– a rise in urban population means greater levels of waste
– emerging world powers don’t yet possess the infrastructure necessary to manage it
The result, in accordance with the world urban population growth forecasts that we mentioned in the last post, shows perfectly the unbreakable correlation between population and waste. A marriage of convenience for countries that is convenient for the planet. Designing and developing better traffic systems, better housing and logistical infrastructure, etc., is a priority. But we must also make the same effort in designing better systems to manage the growing volume of waste that these enormous cities generate. “Improving solid waste management, especially in the rapidly growing cities of low income countries, is becoming a more and more urgent issue”, explained Rachel Kyte, the Vice President, of Sustainable Development at the World Bank. That’s why, just like health, education or transport, waste management must be one of the most important services offered by local authorities.
Comments are closed.