Closing the loop on MENA’s waste management challenges

Population growth, rapid urbanisation, unsustainable consumer habits, and public indifference have all played their part in what is becoming a major problem for public health and the environment around the world.In the GCC alone, member nations currently generate up to 130 million tons of waste every year. Population growth, ongoing urbanisation, shifting consumption habits, a lack of stringent regulation and public indifference have cumulatively amplified the region’s waste management problem over the decades. In recent years, however, the development of long-term national strategies aligned with significant government investment and the advent of consumer awareness campaigns have set the wheels of change in motion.The concept of ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ has been widely integrated across the waste management landscape, from landfill diversion initiatives and waste-to-energy programmes -  driven by comprehensive circular economy policy frameworks.On Episode 7, we pinpoint the major challenges facing government and sector stakeholders in the UAE and wider MENA region, and take an in-depth look at the various projects, programmes and initiatives already positively impacting waste reduction goals.Moderator Jeffrey Beyer, Founder and Managing Director of Zest Associates, is joined by Ali Al Dhaheri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company -Tadweer; Nivine Issa, Senior Environmental Expert and Dr Samar Alghalebi, Director at Smart Waste & Energy Solutions.Powered by World Future Energy Summit, the Future Energy Insights show seeks to address the biggest challenges shaping the future of energy today, both in the Middle East and around the world. Find us on social media at @worldfutureenergysummit and visit our website www.worldfutureenergysummit.com.