According to 2017 UNOCHA Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), 1.3 million
people need humanitarian assistance in Libya: these include, among others, 439,000
children, about 241,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 356,000 returnees.
UNOCHA estimated that in Libya about 100,000 refugees and 195,652 migrants will
be in need of humanitarian support in 2017[1]. However, in June 2017 the
IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix identified 351,382 migrants and estimations
suggest that the total number of vulnerable migrants currently present in Libya
could be much higher[2].
In order to address the crisis, the current priority, as indicated by
UNOCHA and Libyan authorities, is to restore people's access to basic services
such as education, health care, transportation, electricity, water, hygiene and
the collect and disposal of waste, especially in urban areas.
The population’s current living standards have been severely affected by
the protracted conflict and Libyan authorities face growing difficulties in
securing supplies and in addressing the pressing demand for public services. A
major source of concern in Libya is represented by the serious deterioration in
hygienic conditions and the difficulties of local authorities to collect urban
solid waste. In many districts waste is burned in the streets, further
aggravating the sanitary and environmental conditions in which the entire
population lives.
Libyan authorities have addressed the Italian Embassy in Tripoli to
request a two-fold intervention aimed at responding to the immediate need of
waste collecting as well as restoring properly managed services and sustainable
waste management. The intervention will create better living conditions for the
population in the short term and improve the environmental conditions in the
medium and long term.
Due to the lack of ad hoc studies, reliable data on the environmental
situation in the capital is extremely limited and often highly approximate.
The General Service Company (GSC) estimates a production of 3,000 tons
of waste per month for the city of Tripoli, a figure calculated on the basis of
the approximation of 1 kg of urban waste per person per day (coming from
households, commercial waste, etc.). Regarding the composition of waste generated in Tripoli, the most recent
literature is based on a study conducted by the University of Garian (Libya)
and Belgrade in 2011, which conducted the research in 3 main areas. Accord to
the study, the urban waste produced by households was composed of 36.3% organic
materials, 44.1 % of recyclable materials such as paper, plastics, metal and
glass and 19.5% of textile and other[3]
Regarding the collecting capability of the Tripoli Public Service
Company (TPSC, GSC’s branch based in the capital), in 2010-2011 only 70% of the
waste produced in the city was actually collected. Waste segregation by the
population is almost inexistent and recycling is absent. In Tripoli, only 8% of
waste was composted and 3 % recycled, with the large majority being discharged
into dumps.
In many areas of the city, private companies partially outweigh the lack
of public services, ensuring waste collection twice a week for 15-20 euros per
family per month.
In Tripoli, there are various types of waste containers: metal and
plastic mobile trash containers, special bins for hospital waste, garbage bins.
However, the number of containers provided by the Municipality of Tripoli is
not enough to cover the needs of all the city’s residents. In Tripoli, only 17%
of the required transportable containers are available. Consequently, burning
waste in abandoned plastic bags on the street is a widespread practice.
As previously stated, in the capital both the public and private sector
collect urban solid waste and their involvement varies from one residential
area to another, with a growing role of private companies over the last few
years.
To this end, in 2017 TPSC relied upon 5,000 staff units, half Libyans
and half immigrants originating mainly from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria.
It should be noted that generally in Libya manual waste collection and disposal
is carried out mainly by migrants.
Lastly, regarding temporary storage of waste, the city has three
collection sites where waste is temporarily discharged before being transported
to the landfill of Sidi as Saih, located outside the city, towards Tarhunah.
The landfill has a capacity of 45 hectares, 25 of which are currently used.
The Sidi as Saih dump is not compliant with international standards,
which require, among others, a geological barrier structure in order to isolate
waste from the ground. Currently the biogas produced by the dump is not reused
for generating energy and the production of pollutants (leachate) is not
properly managed.
The aim of this project, to be funded by Italy, is to support Libyan
authorities in improving the hygienic and environmental conditions of Tripoli’s
population through a more efficient solid waste management system.
UNOPS will facilitate the procurement of equipment (containers and
vehicles) for waste collection and transportation, but also enhance the
planning capacities of local authorities in managing solid waste. UNOPS will
also provide Libyan authorities with technical support to launch an
international call for tenders for a new landfill and a waste treatment plant,
compliant with international standards.