Seminar on integrated approach for effective solid waste management held

Experts and policymakers have called for stronger coordination among government agencies, development partners, the private sector and local communities to ensure effective solid waste management in Bangladesh.

The call came at a national seminar titled "Integrated Approach for Effective Solid Waste Management", organised jointly by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the WaterAid Bangladesh–Swisscontact Bangladesh consortium at the DoE auditorium in Agargaon on Monday to mark World Environment Day 2026.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mohammad Navid Safiullah attended the event as chief guest, while Additional Director General of the Department of Environment Md Ziaul Haque chaired the seminar.

In his keynote address, Safiullah said solid waste management had become a global challenge rather than solely a national issue, stressing that effective coordination among stakeholders was essential to address growing environmental concerns, including plastic pollution.

He proposed holding a larger national workshop involving political leaders and key stakeholders to develop an integrated roadmap for waste management.

Chairing the seminar, Ziaul Haque emphasised the effective implementation of the 3R strategy—Reduce, Reuse and Recycle—as the foundation for tackling plastic waste.

He said sustainable waste management would require the active participation of government institutions, non-governmental organisations, development partners, the private sector and local communities.

The seminar featured keynote presentations and a panel discussion involving experts from the Department of Environment, BUET, UNOPS, The City Bank PLC, the Local Government Division and Swisscontact Bangladesh, focusing on legal frameworks, institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement in improving solid waste management across the country.