Djibouti: a solid waste collection system is launched in Balbala
published on 20 June 2019
On June 19, 2019, a new solid waste collection system in the Balbala district and its operating base were inaugurated by the Djibouti authorities, representatives of AFD and the French Embassy in Djibouti.
The implementation of the system was made possible particularly by a 6 million euro grant from AFD, allocated in 2012, for the final benefit of the Djibouti Roads Office (OVD), under the management of the Djibouti Social Development Agency (ADDS), the project's delegated contracting authority.
The funding allowed the renovation of the OVD's operating base. This base will contribute to the good maintenance of the collection trucks and the functioning of the service. It also allowed the construction of seven cluster points in Balbala to improve collection in urban areas inaccessible to trucks.
The originality of the project lies in the creation of an association of pre-collectors, the NADIF. This allows the recognition of the profession, which until then had been completely informal, and the consideration of the specificity of these neighbourhoods. This recognition is made possible by the signature of a lease agreement between the OVD and the association in addition to the provision of equipment to its members.
The municipality of Balbala has long suffered from the presence of numerous informal landfills. A worrying situation with significant health implications... Waste attracts disease-carrying pests; it also hinders water flow and increases the risk of flooding whenever it rains. This leads to a growth of areas where dirty water stagnates in normal times, thus potentially becoming sources of diseases such as cholera or malaria.
Since 2008, AFD has invested 53 million euros in urban development in Djibouti, part of which has been invested through delegated grants from the European Union.
