Morocco: Municipal Solid Waste Management Program

Context

Proper management of solid waste is essential for building sustainable and livable cities but remains a challenge for many developing countries. Poorly managed waste can create serious health, safety, and environmental consequences—serving as breeding grounds for disease and contributing to global climate change through methane generation.

Program Overview

In Morocco, the World Bank is helping the government to reform the solid waste sector. World Bank investment is allowing the government to build new, cleaner landfills and rehabilitate existing ones, improving conditions for local communities, creating jobs, and increasing on-site recycling capacity. Complimenting this investment, the Carbon Partnership Facility is supporting Moroccan municipalities to develop carbon assets in the municipal solid waste sector and access the carbon market. The methane that results from decomposition can be used to produce electricity, lowering landfill emissions and offsetting use of fossil fuel generated energy. The program was coordinated and implemented by Fonds d’Equipement Communal (FEC)—the Moroccan Municipal Development Bank

Results

The program issued close to 11,000 certified emission reductions (CERs) in 2017, and a second issuance for the time period 2016-18 is expected in early 2021. Overall, the program is expected to generate about 23,000 CERs. The program’s sole participant, Oum Azza landfill, faced serious technical challenges, including the presence of high leachate, preventing proper extraction of methane and therefore hampering generation of emission reductions. Unfortunately,  the issue has not been overcome.

The program is an example of how carbon finance can catalyze financial resources towards sound sustainable development practices in the solid waste management sector, including the Carbon Partnership Facility’s Carbon Asset Development Facility (CADF). The grant provided technical assistance to FEC in preparation of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, including financial feasibility studies and social and environmental evaluations of potential landfills to join the program. As an outcome, FEC and the Oum Azza landfill operator built capacity in accessing the carbon market, CER generation monitoring, and due diligence regarding strenuous CDM rules and procedures.

Program Documents

Relevant program documents can be found here.