Improving Solid Waste Management in Egypt

With increasing population, developing industries and activities, waste management has become a major challenge in the protection of the environment in Egypt. The imple­men­ta­tion of integrated waste management systems has, therefore, become both a priority and a necessity in Egypt.

CDM Smith is leading a consortium that supports the national Waste Management Regulatory Authority, as well as local solid waste management units in Assiut and Qena Gover­norates, in developing an econom­i­cally viable and sustainable waste management system matched to local require­ments. With a € 300 million total programme cost, the project will bring benefits to the 7.8 million inhabitants in the area.

We are now over one year into the project led by our project manager, Dr. Abdelaziz Belherazem, and well underway. Immediately following contract signing, we mobilised the core team in January 2017 and established the project offices. Immediate measures imple­men­ta­tion and strategic planning began. 

Early on, the work commenced on supporting the estab­lish­ment of the Solid Waste Management Units within the Governates, including the design of structures, budgets and training needs.

One of the key early activities was also the development of solid waste master plans. This involved extensive consul­ta­tion with a wide range of relevant stake­hold­ers to ensure we achieve integrated planning and management.  We are promoting cooperation between the different involved stake­hold­ers, advising the authorities on introducing new economic instruments, and developing concepts to collect, transport, sort, treat and dispose waste in a more efficient and sustainable manner.

In addition, we are also planning appropriate investments in waste management together with those locally responsible, and providing support in imple­men­ta­tion. The plan includes remediating existing landfills and planning new landfills in addition to new waste handling facilities for trans­fer­ring, sorting, mechanical-biological treatment, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) production, and composting. CDM Smith will provide construc­tion supervision in close cooperation with national and local authorities.

While the project is not scheduled for completion until 2021, the CDM Smith team is pleased to already see the results of their work in Egypt and to continue their work which will ultimately ensure that the local private and public operators are well-prepared for the future beyond project completion.

CDM Smith provides lasting and integrated solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide. As a full-service engineering and construc­tion firm, we deliver exceptional client service, quality results and enduring value across the entire project life cycle.