Context
The urban population in Africa is increasing at a faster rate than any other continent (3.5 per cent per annum). Although waste generation is currently lower in Africa than in the developed world, subSaharan Africa is forecast to become the dominant region globally in terms of total waste generation if current generation trends persist. Waste generation in Africa, like in other developing regions in the world, is driven by population growth, rapid urbanization, a growing middle class, changing consumption habits and production patterns, and global waste trade and trafficking. The African Union has called on African cities to commit to recycling at least 50 per cent of the urban waste they generate by 2023 and to grow urban waste recycling industries.
A circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops. This can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing and recycling.
There exist technology barriers in the country and in developing countries generally on adoption of the circular economy. This is not only limited to technical expertise and finances buts also include lack of policy, institutional and strategic frameworks to guide its adoption.
CTCN Support
Assist in the effective development of country-specific roadmaps on circular economy. The scope of the roadmaps will be focused on the waste sector.
Expected Impact
Roadmaps will be generated as the result of a participative process that will gather information about: key stakeholders and current initiatives; the circular economy value and definition of benefits, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges in each country. It will identify potential projects that can be prepared and scaled-up as a follow-up of this technical assistance.
