The Lagos State Government says proper management of Construction, Demolition and Disaster Waste (CDDW) will ensure sustainable environment.
Mr Tunji Bello, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, said this on Thursday, December 6, 2019 during a Stakeholders’ Forum on Construction, Demolition and Disaster Waste (CDDW) Management in Lagos State.
The forum, organised by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), had “Creating Value Through Responsible Management of Construction and Demolition Waste in Lagos State” as its theme.
Represented by the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Bello said that proper and effective management of CDDW would ensure safety, liveability and sustainability of human race and the environment.
He said that the management of CDDW had evolved over the years with the introduction of various strategies with treatment options for reuse and recycling of CDDW to guard it from constituting environmental nuisance.
“Now, LAWMA is taking up the challenges to ensure efficient management of CDDW from cradle to grave in the state.
“Lagos State is quite aware that the degree or choice of management options deployed to waste is critical to climate change management, mitigation and adaptation and so, Lagos state is implementing this ‘green’ approach to waste management.
“All these efforts are being concerted with due realisation that any omission or error that can be recorded in the adoption of options shall not create new challenges; otherwise, the world eco-balance will be negatively affected.
“Responsible management of construction and demolition waste is quite apt for us in Lagos at this moment that we are stepping up efforts toward solving the challenges of waste management in the state.
“We are here today to officially launch the CDDW programme of LAWMA and ensure that all stakeholders are well engaged along to own the programme,” the commissioner said.
He said that Lagos State had continued to blaze the trail in innovative approaches to effective management of the waste sector, in line with its determination and commitment to ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment.
According to him, the state has re- energised the solid waste management sector by promoting the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, as a major thrust of waste management in the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had laid exemplary effort at ensuring that the state met the highest international standard in Solid Waste Management, across the value chain.
Gbadegesin said that LAWMA was synonymous with Solid Waste Management and had focused on Domestic, Commercial, Industrial and Public waste in time past.
He said that as the population of Lagos increased, more waste was generated and construction work for shelter and infrastructure was also on the increase.
According to him, the rate of construction and demolition activities going on in the state is very alarming and the attendant waste generated from these activities must be properly managed.
“Owing to its significant impact to the natural environment, CDDW needs to be properly managed.
“Lagos has limited land, yet we are producing waste at a significant rate due to the high population rate.
“An average of 13,000MT of waste is being generated on daily basis and if this trend continues, all our dumpsites will run out of space in less than five years’ time.
“Hence, the need to create value from waste through reuse, reduce and recycle, so we can decrease the volume of waste that goes to the dumpsite,” he said.
Gbadegesin said the recent launch of the Blue Box programme by Sanwo-Olu was an attempt to harness opportunities that abound in the waste sector and to promote a healthier environment.
He said the administration was committed to the Zero Waste Initiative, which was a means to consciously engage the populace on environmental issues, through Community Clean-up Campaign, distribution of colour coded thrash bags to encourage sorting at source.
By Florence Onuegbu
