Location: Gabon, Greater Libreville
Client: High Commission for the Environment and the Living Environment
What is the challenge: Libreville is the political and administrative capital of Gabon, the country’s largest city in terms of population. The estimated population of Libreville is 703,940 as at 2013, representing the most populous city in Gabon and accounting for half the country’s population.
With this huge population, Libreville is spread over fifteen catchment areas, all of which face the Atlantic Ocean. The current Mindoubé landfill is crossed by the Lowé River, and during heavy rains the river carries large quantities of waste to the sea. Although the collection system works quite well, drains clogged by waste, litter and plastic pollution of surface waters are still a major challenge. Waste recovery and disposal are underdeveloped, and the current landfill site is quite problematic from an environmental point of view and poses a danger to neighbouring populations (instability of the slopes). The Owendo commune uses the Alénakiki landfill, bordered by mangroves, where waste and leachate are poured without any precautions. 59% of plots are not connected to a grey water disposal system; households dispose of grey water in their plots, in nearby gutters (storm water drainage) or rivers, or they empty it into septic tanks. In addition, Libreville is very exposed to flooding. In six of the catchment areas, clogging by waste is a major problem. Natural or piped drainage is generally inadequate; often the built environment impedes the drains. Solid waste collection and management is a major problem in Libreville and surrounding areas.
Our Intervention: The Tetra Tech COPIP Consortium is providing technical support in the development of a pre-feasibility study for the High Commission for the Environment and the Living Environment (HCECV).
The HCECV was created on 01 April 2019 working under the direct authority of the President of the Republic and this institution’s mission is to “better manage and coordinate the management of household waste and environmental protection. This project focuses on improving the management of household and similar waste which is often carried out in considerable quantities to the sea during heavy rains in and around Libreville. It is almost impossible to collect waste in slum areas, it is thrown everywhere and end up in the rivers.
The Tetra Tech COPIP consortium recently undertook a Stakeholder Consultation Mission to Libreville in August 2021 where the team managed to meet with the High Commission for the Environment and Living Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Environment and Private Sector Stakeholders who are all interested parties in the project to discuss ways that can improve waste collection and recovery in the city. It is evident from the Mission that the project has so much support in Gabon as waste collection management is a very big challenge. Some of the proposed activities discussed during the Mission include:
- Co-biomethanisation of faecal sludge in the waste treatment and recovery centre
- Recycling of the following: plastics, scrap metal, used oil, tyres, paper, cardboard, wood, etc;
- Composting organic waste
Benefits of our intervention: The project will improve waste collection management in Libreville, leading to a clean and healthy environment and reducing amounts of plastic being washed into the Indian Ocean. This project aligns with the Gabonese Waste Management Strategy which is under construction. The construction project of the Waste Treatment and Recovery Centre (CVTD) of Greater Libreville is part of the implementation of the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan (PSGE), and in particular of Action n°15 “Protection and improvement of the living environment”, which aims to offer a healthy living environment to all Gabonese, through a real policy of household waste management, the development of controlled landfill sites and the recovery of waste. The project also contributes to the implementation of the Libreville sanitation master plan (2014). The project is also contributing to the Clean Oceans Initiative objectives because the project will focus on the waste management and the water and sanitation components
