Improving sanitation and solid waste management in the Himalaya region

Shimla is a frontrunner in effective management of sanitation and solid waste in the Himalaya region. During a study tour organised by adelphi, representatives from governmental institutions from Nepal and India learned about the required infrastructure and important management aspects.

Sanitation and solid waste management is a problem, especially in Indian and Nepali municipalities in the Himalayan region. Shimla, a city located in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, has addressed the problem and considerably improved its municipal sanitation and solid waste management. Other Himalayan cities would like to benefit from the lessons learned in Shimla. In order to share the experience and knowledge, on behalf of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) adelphi organised a one-week study tour for representatives from Ministries and municipal administrations from Nepal and other Indian cities of Himachal Pradesh.

The study tour offered a comprehensive insight in the development, implementation and administration of municipal solid waste and sanitation infrastructure. Furthermore, financing options like Public Private Partnerships, legal framework conditions and aspects of operation and maintenance were discussed. Excursions to solid waste treatment plants and municipal wards with door-to-door waste collection as well as site visits to water and sewage treatment plants demonstrated the technical possibilities and gave participants the opportunity to liaise with regional experts and vendors of sanitation and solid waste management technologies.