World Bank Supports Morocco Solid Waste Strategy with $132.7 Million Loan

In 2006, Morocco enacted its first law on solid waste management, establishing fundamental principles to govern the management of the sector.

The following year, the government launched an ambitious national program to establish:

* Service and disposal standards for urban areas
* Quantitative goals for collection coverage (90 percent by 2021)
* Introduction of sanitary landfills (100 percent of urban areas equipped by 2021),
* Closure and rehabilitation of 300 existing open dumps, and the promotion of solid waste reduction, and recovery

The new Moroccan policy for the sector focuses on developing integrated and affordable solid waste management systems and mitigating negative impacts of the sector on public health and the environment.

For Moroccan waste generators, practitioners, and managers, this is a major transition. The 15-year national solid waste program will be implemented over three phases to support enforcement of the 2006 law. It takes political commitment, solid technical expertise, public desire to engage and an active private sector base for investment of this magnitude to succeed.

On March 18, the World Bank’s Board of Directors approved a $132.7 million loan to help the Moroccan government improve the economic, environmental and social performance of the municipal solid waste sector.

“With reforms underway in the solid waste sector and beyond, Morocco is building momentum for integration into the environmentally conscious European Union and US markets,” says Mats Karlsson, country director for Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya.

Poor Practices Have Cost Morocco 0.5% of GDP

For the past few years, the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) department has been conducting analytical work through the Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program. The department’s work has revealed the significant impact of poor solid waste management on the degradation of and cost to the environment.


Cleanup of major routes and public spaces
With poor solid waste management practices costing 0.5 percent of GDP, Morocco had one of the highest costs in the Middle East and North Africa region, compared to 0.2 percent in Egypt and 0.1 percent in Algeria, Lebanon, Syria and Tunisia.

“This was a strong signal to the government that such an impact on the health, environment and tourism potential needed to be tackled strategically,” says Jaafar Friaa, World Bank senior urban environmental specialist for MENA.


Social and Environmental Aspects Key Features of Reform

The new Moroccan policy highlights social and environmental aspects as key features of the solid waste sector reform.

The government has so far enacted two decrees establishing the process for public consultation during the preparation of environmental impact assessments, and national and regional commissions for their review and approval.

The Bank’s loan will be complemented by an additional carbon finance operation that will allow access by Moroccan municipalities into the international carbon market.

Generating revenues to the sector through carbon trading is an added incentive for municipalities to tackle solid waste problems, as well as an opportunity for local governments to contribute to global climate change efforts.

Toward Integrated Solid Waste Management

Trash within close proximity of dwellings
In order to succeed, this project will rely on partnerships between the central government and municipalities, based on a clearly defined incentive mechanism for performance and results.

Meanwhile, the supported program is designed to improve transparency, competitiveness, and accountability for sustainable and cost-effective private sector participation. The plan also includes a strong public communication program.

“Changing perceptions and behavior will be key to move from a traditional function to keep Morocco “clean,” to environmentally responsible alliances bringing together the