Action plan in motion to tackle landfill issue, modernise solid waste management – President Ali

The Guyana Government is moving swiftly to address the country’s mounting landfill and garbage disposal challenges, with President Dr Irfaan Ali announcing that a national action plan is being developed to modernise waste management and strengthen environmental responsibility. Speaking at a recent press conference, President Ali revealed that all 14 landfill sites across the country have outgrown their capacity, underscoring the urgency of intervention.

The President disclosed that Ministries and key stakeholders have been tasked with crafting a comprehensive report and strategy within the next three to four weeks. The plan will focus on identifying new landfill locations, prioritising Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), while also exploring modern facilities and technologies that can create value from waste.
“Dealing with services again, one of the main issues in communities is that of soil waste management, garbage disposal, landfill sites. I have tasked the Ministries with a stakeholder to immediately come up with an action plan. As you know, we have 14 landfill sites across the country. They have all outgrown their capacity. Therefore, we need the development of new sites, the identification of land, getting the environmental permits and clearance, and then building out these sites in a modern way. Looking at value creation, that is how we can create value out of waste. We have a number of proposals that the team will be examining,” the Guyanese leader said. Public education and behaviour change will also form a major part of the national strategy. Emphasis will be placed on sanitation in public spaces and markets, alongside a communication campaign aimed at building greater environmental responsibility. The Head of State stressed that improving waste management is critical not only for public health and community development but also for Guyana’s long-term tourism vision.
“Important to this also, a specific emphasis must be on public education. Looking at public spaces, markets, and building a communication strategy that will change mindset, that will change behaviour, and will allow us to act with responsibility when it comes to protecting our environment. All of this is key as we build out a world-class tourism sector,” he added. Just one day after being sworn in as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand had announced that the Government will be significantly expanding its waste management capacity, as the volume of waste entering the Haags Bosch landfill has tripled in recent years.
Speaking during a site visit, Manickchand described solid waste management as “a huge area and a big concern” for residents across the country, stressing that safe, sanitary, and well-managed communities remain a priority for the administration.
At Haags Bosch, once designed to handle around 400 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, dumping has surged from 100 trucks per day to between 300 and 400, pushing daily waste intake to more than 1,200 tonnes. Residents of nearby communities, including Eccles, Prospect, and Windsor Estate, have repeatedly complained about smoke and unpleasant odours from the site.
The Minister noted that her Ministry will be working closely with First Lady Arya Ali, who has spearheaded village beautification projects nationwide, to complement the broader strategy for cleaner and greener communities.
The Haags Bosch landfill is among the landfill sites in Charity in Region Two, Zorg-en-Hoop Canal, Zorg-En-Vlygt, Nerney, Region Six, Bon Success, Region Nine, and others.