Monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), the missing link to unlocking scaled-up climate and waste action in West Africa
West African nations have developed an impressive set of NDCs designed to position them on the road toward meeting Paris Agreement objectives. Many of these countries have incorporated a strong focus on improved waste management as a part of their NDC approach. In order for these nations to realize their waste and climate ambitions a methodology is required that permits accurate tracking of improved waste management activities and reduced emissions.
Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) is a tested approach used to underpin emissions mitigation efforts globally, one that holds promise for quantifying emissions reductions in West Africa but has yet to be widely applied. Having an understanding of what this approach entails and how it can be applied is a first step in moving towards the use of MRV in support of this most essential of municipal services.
In many African nations waste management practices are still in an early stage of development. Increasingly urbanized populations are moving away from the traditional methods of managing waste that were appropriate when waste was largely organic. These included largely rural practices such as field clearing by burning or the recovery of organic waste for animal feed. Today, increased prosperity across the content has led to the introduction of plastics and paper packaging, consumer goods, and electronic waste, all requiring more advanced waste management approaches.
MRV offers a strong framework for building early NDC climate action on waste, providing long-term planning certainty for investments in needed infrastructure and workforce capacity development. MRV as a tool offers flexibility in its application while lending robust support to achieving the specific climate objectives of West African nations. Additionally this framework provides opportunities to maximize climate action linked to landfill gas recovery, digestion of biowaste, the reutilization of organic waste to revitalize soils for improved agriculture production or in support of reforestation initiatives.
One of the biggest challenges facing countries in adapting this approach is the lack of data and monitoring systems required for effective implementation. This implies a much stronger focus on understanding waste characteristics, how waste is collected and where and how it is disposed. The solid baseline understanding provided by this kind of data would offer a platform to frame the benefits that investments in the waste sector provide. These include opportunities for reducing emissions while creating jobs, protecting water and air quality, improving public health, and reducing resource consumption overall.
With the promise of important investments on the horizon, West African nations have the opportunity to reinforce the impact of their climate action in the waste sector through the integration of a strong MRV component, ensuring reduced emissions while improving expanded waste services to citizens that integrate a strong focus on sustainability.
For a more complete exploration of the link between MRV and waste and climate investments in West Africa please see the article: Experience Spotlight – MRV as a Tool for Improving Waste Management and Driving Climate Action in West Africa and The Pacific Alliance
