Strengthening Waste Management in Morocco: A New $250 Million Program from the World Bank

Wednesday 27 November 2024 - 16:34

The World Bank has approved a significant financial boost for Morocco’s waste management sector with a $250 million grant aimed at improving the management of municipal solid waste. This initiative, called the Municipal Solid Waste Management Support Program, seeks to enhance both the financial and environmental performance of the sector by supporting key investments and reforms.

Moroccan cities, home to over 60% of the country’s population, are essential to the nation’s growth. The World Bank highlights that the Kingdom’s new development model focuses on improving the quality of life and making urban areas more attractive. Within this context, waste management has been a major priority for the government, which has made notable progress over the past two decades. Notably, with the support of the World Bank, Morocco's national waste management program has helped significantly improve urban cleanliness, with the waste collection rate rising from 40% in 2008 to an impressive 96% by 2022.

The World Bank also referenced Morocco’s 2023 initiative, the National Household Waste Recovery Program (PNVDM), which emphasizes environmentally sustainable practices. The program focuses on reducing landfill use and improving recycling rates. The newly approved World Bank program will support these objectives by improving both financial and environmental performance while strengthening governance and management within the sector.

Key aspects of the program will include improving the management of controlled landfills, extending waste recovery efforts using financially sustainable business models, closing and rehabilitating abandoned uncontrolled dumpsites, identifying new revenue sources for the sector, and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions in line with Morocco’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Moustapha Ndiaye, the World Bank Director for the Maghreb and Malta, expressed that the program is part of the organization’s long-standing commitment to waste management and complements Morocco's efforts to improve local services and the quality of life for citizens. Additionally, he emphasized the program’s alignment with Morocco’s climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

This new initiative is supported by technical assistance and funding from the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction (GFDRR) and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), marking a continued collaboration between Morocco and the World Bank to address key environmental challenges.