Methodological guidelines for sectoral analysis in solid waste

This document provides the tool for a solid wastes sector assessment in each country of the Latin American and Caribbean region from which to formulate a plan for the overall and strategic handling of solid wastes. An estimated 30 per cent of solid waste in the region is not collected and only half of that collected is properly disposed of. The sector assessment proposed in these guidelines includes an evaluation of the sector, a general strategy for organizing the assessment, and the for carrying it out. The first part of the guidelines describes how the assessment procedures need to be coordinated to carry out the assessment, specifying the functions and stages which the participants need to fulfil. The categories of these performance characteristics used to evaluate the sector include: sector objectives; solid waste generation, recovery, and disposal; coverage and access to urban waste management services; service quality and efficiency; and service management and operations, and finance. The sector components that should be analysed for the solid waste sector study include: general country characteristics; institutional and legal aspects; infrastructure and technical aspects; economic and financial as well as health, environmental and sociocultural aspects. In the next two sections a series of questions are suggested for the sector level and for the utility level to facilitate research of the above components including both data and information gathering questions and analytical questions to guide the analysis of the gathered information and to define future sector strategies. The final part provides an outline of the sector assessment report including general characteristics of the country; and performance characteristics; institutional and legal analysis; technical aspects; financing; environmental, health, and other social and community aspects; identified critical aspects; strategies, policies, and recommended actions; and p projects profiles. Two annexes, one a summary of indicators used in the guidelines, and the second an assessment of solid wastes characteristics complete the document.