Regional Evaluation Municipal Solid Waste Management Services. Country Analytical Report, Trinidad and Tobago. Evaluation 2002

Abstract

This evaluation 2002(for the year 2001) exercise coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) provides an opportunity to develop scientific data that has not been formally documented since the Trinidad and Tobago Solid Waste Management Study was done in 1979 and the waste characterization studies by the SWMCOL in 1996. While PAHO/WHO, IDB, the World Bank and the USAID have all supported efforts to effect sectoral analysis in solid waste, the practice of information development and management has not become the culture in Trinidad and Tobago. Demographic shifts coupled with economic activity changes have introduced increased generation rates and new types of waste items that have placed unplanned demands on the existing waste management systems. Industrial development in the energy sectors, which is associated with complex technologies and processes, has contributed to added demands for environmental management. Waste generation from these industries has resulted in waste types and volumes far different from the traditional characteristics of municipal waste. It is within this context that an understanding of the current situation needs to be assessed, and the information used to facilitate the development of updated waste management policies, plans and strategies.