Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project

active

The Government of Pakistan’s National Population and Housing Census 2023 reported a population of 20.3 million residents in Karachi. The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) collects more than 10,000 metric tons of municipal waste every day. Currently, the solid waste management sector in Karachi suffers from infrastructure gaps, specifically for transfer and disposal, and poor solid waste management (SWM) practices such as illegal dumping or burning of collected waste. The Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project (SWEEP) aims to improve backbone SWM infrastructure and service delivery, reduce cumulative impacts of SWM sites on the neighboring areas and Karachi’s residents, and improve long-term sustainability of the facilities. In this regard, SWEEP will support several interventions including:a) Development of sanitary disposal capacity at Jam Chakro dumpsite, including: (i) design and construction of new landfill cells; (ii) design and construction of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) co-located with to the new landfill; (iii) implementation of measures to improve safety and reduce environmental impacts of the existing dumpsite; (iv) progressive closure and rehabilitation of areas that have reached capacity; and (v) development and implementation of community support plan for waste pickers living at Jam Chakro.b) Construction and/or upgrading of transfer stations, including the development and implementation of an appropriate operating model for the operation and maintenance of the transfer stations. c) Development of long-term waste solutions for Karachi, including: (i) planning and design of new sanitary disposal capacity with associated facilities at selected sites; (ii) planning, carrying out of feasibility studies, engineering design, development of business and operating models, and provision of advisory services for the creation of a comprehensive ecosystem of waste treatment solutions; and (iii) designing of solutions to improve treatment of non-municipal waste streams such as medical waste and/or construction and demolition waste, including: (A) assessment of existing systems for collection, transport and disposal of such waste streams; (B) identification of gaps to be addressed through processes, investments and technologies; (C) development of service improvement plans needed to build end-to-end solutions for each stream, as well as policy recommendations on regulation and tariffs for producers; and (D) identification of priority investments.The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, with its project implementation unit (PIU), is the primary implementing agency for SWEEP with dedicated staff with technical expertise in engineering, environmental and social management, procurement, financial management and other key functions.