- AMCEN leaders decide to tackle waste pollution in Africa.
- The leaders proposed that waste should be recovered and utilized for more productive purposes
The just concluded 18th session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment [AMCEN] held in Dakar, Senegal, had in attendance the Ministers of the environment from 54 African countries. This conference birthed a strategic goal to tackle waste pollution in Africa. The leaders decided to stop the burning of waste and eliminate the dumping of waste in open areas because of the negative impact of this action on human health and the environment.
Abdou Karim Sall, the chairman of AMCEN and the minister of environment and sustainable development in Senegal, said that the meeting was about ensuring the overall well-being of African populations and a sustainable environment for Africa.
The leaders proposed that waste should be recovered and utilized for more productive purposes, which include converting organic waste to bio-gas or fertilizer and utilizing plastic waste to generate electricity. They took this decision to ensure that citizens are aware of antimicrobial resistance, which is harmful and can be reduced or prevented through this process. They also proposed that AMCEN be transformed into an action and implementation platform and not just a decision-making platform