Maputo, 22 Sep (AIM) – The Mozambican government plans to invest about 1.5 billion meticais (23.5 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate) to build two landfills in the northern cities of Nampula and Nacala in order to improve waste management.
According to Delfina Falume, the Nampula Provincial Director of Territorial Development and Environment, who was speaking on Sunday at a Roundtable Discussion on World Cleanup Day, which took place in Unirovuma University, under the motto “Let’s All Fight and Prevent Plastic Pollution”, the investment is expected to begin in 2026, and is “now waiting for final approvals.”
“There will be two landfills, one in Nampula and another in Nacala. The sites have already been identified, and technical studies for implementation are complete. We will create a central site for organized disposal, including a temporary storage area where waste will be sorted”, she said.
Falume revealed that the project will be funded by international partners as part of “broader efforts by Mozambique to address its growing waste and environmental challenges.”
“The government estimates that at least 17,000 tonnes of plastic are dumped into the sea annually, while 116,000 tonnes are deposited in landfills each year, largely untreated. This means that the project aims to replace the current unsustainable waste disposal practices”, she said.
For his part, the Secretary of State for Land and Environment, Gustavo Dgedge, warned of the health and environmental risks associated with poor waste management, claiming that only one per cent of plastic waste is currently recycled in Mozambique. He also recalled that the country produces about 4.2 million tons of waste annually.
(AIM)
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