The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has signed a contract with Ceres Associates, an integrated environmental and waste management company, to execute the first phase of the project designed to rehabilitate the original landfill serving Umm Al Quwain
The entire project connected to the 15-year-old landfill will be undertaken in two phases, and is expected to cost around US$3.21mn.
The first phase, which will be completed in December 2017, involves critical processes that lay the groundwork for an extensive rehabilitation of the landfill. This includes the application of special treatments to various kinds of waste, an upgrade of the existing materials recovery facility (MRF) and the installation of a new compressor. The landfill?s lining ? a low permeable barrier which prevents the leaking of toxic substances into the ground ? will also be repaired.
The project associated with the existing landfill complements plans to build a second landfill dedicated to Umm Al Quwain. The new site will contain two sanitary engineering cells that comply with internationally approved technical standards. The new landfill will also feature other environment-friendly components such as the new sewage treatment plant that is set to serve the residential and commercial sectors of the emirate.
In addition, the new municipal solid waste treatment plant and the construction waste treatment plant are expected to be implemented by end-2017.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Rissi, director of waste management at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, said, ?In line with the UAE National Agenda 2021 and the Ministry?s mandate to implement sustainable waste management systems across the UAE, we are prioritising a holistic upgrade to address the waste problem in the Northern Emirates. The upgrade will enable us to vastly improve waste management capacity and efficiency, since our target is to treat up to 75 per cent of all waste collected in the emirate.?
Explaining the challenges specific to landfills, Al-Rissi added, ?With a steadily increasing population and industrial activity, our landfills are under immense pressure to accommodate growing amounts of waste that comes in on a daily basis. The challenge is compounded when we receive a large amount of waste ? such as batteries and electronics that are improperly segregated, posing a significant risk to the environment and the community.
?The upgrades we are undertaking to the waste management infrastructure in Umm Al Qwain, coupled with the ongoing awareness programmes that teach people how to manage waste, will better equip us to tackle this challenge.?
