opinionResearchers in China working on sustainable management of urban waste, have expressed deep concern about developing countries' escalating production of municipal solid waste and of construction and demolition debris. This growing threat to people and the environment demands greater attention, broader oversight and proper management, the researchers claimed in a new report published in Nature. Developing countries such as China and India are urbanizing at an unprecedented rate. Most such urban waste ends up in poorly operated landfill sites, or is dumped or burned. It is therefore crucial for governments in developing countries to provide safer alternatives for waste disposal, to pass and enforce regulations to eliminate the open dumping and burning of waste, and to finance sanitary landfill and recycling programmes.

Source: Sunday Times June 29, 2017 01:30 UTC