June 5 is World Environment Day and this year’s theme is Land Restoration, Desertification & Drought Resilience.
“These concerns are of the utmost importance to South Africa because the country is greatly susceptible to all three,” says Leon Grobbelaar, past President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).
He asserts that good waste management plays a pivotal role in mitigating desertification and drought and facilitates land restoration.

The South African landscape
The World Economic Forum describes desertification as gradual degradation of the productive soil, water, biodiversity, and vegetation in an already arid landscape.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)’s National Action Programme for South Africa to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation and the Effects of Drought (2018-2030) notes that 91% of the country is drylands, making it especially vulnerable to desertification.

In addition, South Africa’s annual average rainfall is just 464mm, compared to the global average of 860mm per annum. Apart from its naturally dry climate, the country has suffered regular droughts over the last several decades.
These geographic factors have been exacerbated by man-made problems, such as climate change, deforestation, overgrazing of livestock, and unsustainable agricultural practices.

“Desertification, land degradation and drought inevitably endanger food security and water availability, negatively impacting the health, productivity and prosperity of our society,” says Grobbelaar.

The role of waste management
Waste management paves the way for land restoration and drought resilience by helping to preserve the existing condition of these resources.

“It’s no good fighting to win back land and water if we continue contaminating them at the same time,” says Grobbelaar.

This means directing waste away from fertile soil and sources of water to protect what remains and lay the foundation for the renewal of affected areas.

The term “waste” covers a wide array of elements, from everyday household refuse to electronic devices, organic matter, chemicals, and even nuclear materials Waste should be seen as a resource and hence the promotion and implementation of the circular economy and cradle to cradle principles.

Any number of these, discarded irresponsibly, threaten to contaminate soil and water, polluting the environment and the plant life, animals and humans that inhabit it.

In addition, waste management practices, like commodity recovery practises and composting, can accelerate land restoration and drought resilience.

For example, composted organic waste or processed faecal sludge can enrich soil, returning it to a productive state, while efficient water sanitation ensures that scarce, clean water is rapidly cycled back into lakes and rivers.

Innovating for the future
To ensure these outcomes, it’s critical that new and innovative waste management techniques and technologies be implemented to keep pace with future needs.

For example, the use of landfills as primary disposal option is not sustainable and alternative treatment and recovery solutions must be enforced and implemented.

“We need new approaches, and the waste community continues to research more efficient methods and means to overcome current limitations,” says Grobbelaar.

It’s appropriate that World Environment Day takes place in June, which is also Youth Month, because much of this innovation will come from a new generation of waste management professionals.

The IWMSA recognises and fosters these new perspectives through its Young Professionals Group (YPG) in the hope of accelerating current programmes in the industry.

“We have no doubt that they will contribute to a lusher, greener South Africa that promises health and happiness to all our citizens,” says Grobbelaar.
 
ENDS

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Though South Africa does not have any formal statistics on its available landfill airspace, those in the waste management industry agree that it is rapidly filling up - and that the country is on the verge of a crisis.

“We had pretty well-run facilities around the year 2000, but our landfill sites are currently in a terrible state; the worst they've been in decades,” warns Leon Grobbelaar, past president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA). “Until South Africa has a formal policy to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle, we will continue to fill up our landfill air space at this frightening rate.”

The main culprits: Lack of Enforcement and Future Planning
According to Grobbelaar, the problem is a complex one with numerous contributing elements - but legislation isn’t one of them. He points out that South Africa has some of the best waste management legislation in the world.

"We incorporated knowledge from other successful countries into our legal framework, which took the form of the local National Environmental Management Waste Act." NEMWA

The issue, he explains, is that this legislation is not being enforced.

"The South African Waste Information System, or SAWIS, is one example. Users are supposed to submit reports on the tonnages of waste generated, recycled and disposed of to that system, but they don't because they know there are no repercussions.”

Grobbelaar goes on to say that a lack of future planning will soon be one of the major concerns that towns and cities will have to deal with. "They are responsible for providing services for citizens to dispose of their waste, thus they are obligated to develop additional landfills. However, municipalities in South Africa simply do not have the means or capacity to do so."

The last time the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane have licensed or constructed a new landfill, was in the late 1980’s and early 1990's, Grobbelaar says - and now they are filling up at an alarming rate.

"However, the licensing and construction process for a new landfill typically takes three to five years.  followed by appeals and possible legal processes. So, even if our major cities opted to start this process tomorrow, we won't have new facilities until approximately 2030."

Small actions add up to make a difference
Though the problem may feel overwhelming, individual actions can make a difference.

"First and foremost, we should all be very conscious of what we put in our 'black waste bag'," Grobbelaar points out. "We should have a two-bag system, with one for dry items and the other for wet materials." 

Glass, tin, paper, and plastic (Recyclables) are among the items that should be put out for our informal waste pickers - the so-called 'trolley brigade' - to recover.  “The second bag should be for ‘wet waste’. This includes the waste we generate in the kitchen, such as fruits, vegetable peels, and leftovers. It has the potential to contaminate dry waste and has no real market value."

Grobbelaar urges consumers to also ensure they don’t mix garden greens with domestic waste, as garden greens can be shredded and composted.

“If you are unsure of where you can dispose of your recyclables, garden greens or builders rubble waste , you can contact the IWMSA who will gladly assist and point you in the right direction."

ENDS


MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, [email protected], 060 995 6277, www.atthatpoint.co.za 

For more information on IWMSA please visit:
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