Waste Management and Pollution Control
Impressive results have been highlighted 18 months after the launch of a solid waste management project in 11 Pacific islands.

The Japanese funded J-PRISM (Japan Technical Cooperation Project for the Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management) programme is a five year project coordinated in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).  It aims to improve the sustainable management of solid waste in the Pacific region by strengthening human and institutional capacities.  The project emphasises the “learn-by-doing” approach to boost the capacity of islanders to manage waste.

Many activities to promote 3R’s, (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and proper waste management have been implemented in participating countries under the J-PRISM project since its launching in February 2011.

Kiribati web

In Kiribati, the local government of South Tarawa, through trial and error, has found a practical and effective method for home composting which suits the local conditions and reduces the amount of waste disposed at the dumpsite.  

In Vanuatu, participants from across the region received intensive, hands-on training in landfill management to equip them with the skills and knowledge to properly maintain their own waste disposal sites.

Further north, in the Federated States of Micronesia, State Solid Waste Management Strategies and Action Plans have been developed for each State through a series of J-PRISM-funded workshops and consultations.

“Japan has assisted the region for many years to improve the management of waste, through various cooperation schemes, such as grants, technical cooperation projects, and dispatch of volunteers. JICA is delighted to continue assisting the region in achieving the region’s waste management goals through implementation of J-PRISM,” said Mr. Nobuhiro Ikuro, the Deputy Director General of the Global Environment Department of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The J-PRISM Steering Committee met in September during the 23rd SPREP Meeting held in Noumea, New Caledonia and brought together counterparts from the 11 participating Pacific island countries and from JICA and SPREP. 

Representatives from the Solomon Islands presented the successful activities being undertaken in their country, which included completion of waste data collection activities and preparation of dumpsite improvement plans.  Fiji also demonstrated their progress in green organic market waste composting, waste data collection and helping to deliver training to other countries on the 3Rs.

"I was very much encouraged by the presentations and they reminded me of the importance of our dedicated and hard-working counterparts. It is they who bring about or inspire local changes, not a donor agency or external experts,” commented Mr Shiro Amano, Chief Advisor of J-PRISM, JICA.

“We are the coaches to develop and increase our players’ capacity so that these players will be able to achieve their goals without the need for coaches in the future. JICA, together with SPREP, will continue to support our counterparts’ initiatives as they help each other and build on the capacity that was developed through past assistance."

Vanuatu web
SPREP’s Director General, Mr David Sheppard, thanked JICA, and in particular Mr Amano and his team for their excellent work and dedication to assisting the Pacific improve regional waste management. 

“J-PRISM is a model for the Pacific region and one that I would like to see repeated.  The presentations were inspiring and demonstrate that with the right guidance, our islands have the capacity to improve their situation in terms of waste management.”

The Steering Committee Meeting concluded with presentation of awards to Vanuatu for best consistent management of the landfill and to the Solomon Islands who received the Team Award for Best J-PRISM Effort.

More information on J-PRISM can be obtained via email from the J-PRISM Project Office [email protected] or [email protected]