This was stated in the Waste Management Bill 2024 which was tabled and read on her behalf by Hon. Ahmat Bah, Minister for Lands at the National Assembly yesterday.
The Waste Management Bill, 2024, was read for the second time in parliament on Monday.
“If the current trends remain unchanged, the rate of waste collection will dwindle as all the pressures leading to increased waste generation are dynamic and non-static,” she stated.
“This bill factors in all the international obligations that The Gambia is bound to, including the multilateral environmental conventions, thus making it a holistic and sustainable law. Therefore, the pace is already set for the realization of sustainable waste management in the Gambia and the passing of Waste Management Bill 2024 by the National Assembly will be a giant step forward to this realization,” she said.
She added that waste management is a growing public health and environmental concern in the Gambia. Waste generation is influenced by population growth, affluence, changes in lifestyle, economic growth and low level of awareness of the population and waste management issues.
“This bill emphasises responsive measures that would create the enabling environment to effectively tackle waste management issues through a multi-dimensional approach that would utilise advocacy, sensitisation, environmental education and promotion as well as enforcement of environmental laws as the pillars for a successful waste management program.”
She further said that the bill would ensure the prevention of illegal trades in waste and transboundary movements of hazardous waste and other waste.
“It will create avoidance and reduction of waste to the minimum level.”
Reacting to the bill, Hon. Sulayman Saho, NAM for Central Badibu, expressed how timely the bill was. “Only 20% of waste being managed, and 80% is still not, is considered a major problem. The issue of the waste disposal; there is a lot that has to be done when this bill comes into active life,” he said.
“I believe the Ministry will also do everything humanly possible to identify a special waste dumping site for both usable and non usable wastes for proper management.”
Honourable Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, Yahya Sanyang, stated: “Through the bill, we will be able to protect our environment and be able to reinforce public health.
“We will also be able to do some resource conservation and above all, we will be able to create jobs for the citizens of this country. I appeal to each one of you to give this bill our quickest blessing so that we can start implementing all the benefits.”
