Corozal Communities Managing Solid Waste

Belmopan - 12 November, 2007
Over 50 village representatives of 27 communities in the Corozal District will meet in Ranchito Village on Sunday, 10th November 2007, to develop a draft plan to address solid waste management in their communities.

The "Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Rural Communities Workshop", spearheaded by the Ministry of Natural Resources & the Environment, the Solid Waste Management Authority and the Pan American Health Organization, will allow participants to share and discuss challenges, as well as identify means of addressing these issues.

According to Manager of the Solid Waste Management Authority, Mr. Albert G. Roches, the workshop will facilitate the development of strategies that will guarantee sustainable waste management system in each community. Roches stated that although solid waste management is a growing environmental concern in Belize , many community leaders are unaware of their role in developing and implementing proper alternative means of addressing garbage collection and disposal.

The workshop will educate participants on solid waste management and offer open discussion on practical and cost-effective means of implementing proper solid waste management plans in their communities.

Since July 2007, the Solid Waste Management Authority, along with its partners, has embarked on this aggressing programme to encourage community participation in solid waste management through public education. Similar workshops are being organized for other districts with the ultimate aim to ensure proper solid waste management, elimination of illegal dump sites and prevention of littering in Belize

Source: Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment