The workshop aimed at developing and publishing waste statistics in the Kingdom of Bahrain, according to the international Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics issued by the UN Statistics Division, as well as monitoring the progress of Sustainable Development Goals indicators in the waste field.
In this regard, iGA Acting Vice Chief Executive of Statistics and Population Register Dr. Nabeel bin Shams stated that conducting this workshop comes in line with the efforts exerted by iGA in collaboration with GCC-STAT Center and concerned entities to develop the Kingdom’s environmental statistics, so as to achieve the objectives of the National Information Committee and follow-up on the Sustainable Development agenda after 2015. Additionally, link the agenda to the Government Action Plan by establishing a comprehensive national statistic base capable of interpreting key indicators that enable decision and policy makers to set development plans at all levels. This contributes in unifying and analyzing information statistics, as well as cooperate with the various media to determine dates and methods of publishing stats and census results to meet local, regional and international requirements.
Over 12 participants attended the workshop representing the national team of environmental statistic, the national comprehensive strategic team of waste management from government entities; in addition to employees from Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning (MWMAUP), Supreme Council for Environment (SCE), Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Arabian Gulf University.
During the workshop, MWMAUP Advisor Mr. Bob Doig presented the mechanism of collecting the waste and classifying it before disposal. SCE Senior Specialist Eng. Saeed Sewar presented the environmental legislations related to waste, the council’s role in managing the industrial waste along with the recognition of Bahrain, amongst 9 countries worldwide, for its commitment to the Basel Convention – on the sidelines of the ‘Conference Meetings of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions’ held this year in Geneva, Switzerland. Geographic Information Systems Division Head at the supreme council also presented the stages of preparing the national comprehensive strategy for waste management.
MoH Infection Control Department Head Dr. Safa AlKhawaja presented the followed classification of medical waste and monitoring mechanisms to manage these wastes and provide the supreme council with quarterly reports.
Ms. Maha Sabt, Chief of Social and Environment Statistics at iGA, gave a presentation that displays the Second Article of Law No. 7 of 1977 regarding Authority’s role in collecting the statistical information in all fields, responsibilities of the National Information Committee along with the followed mechanism in publishing the environmental statistics consistent with international framework of developing these stats.
The workshop concluded with a number of recommendations about the production mechanism of waste statistics, completion of surveys and publication calendar. Some of which included creating a unified email to ensure receiving reports from relevant entities; ensuring compatibility with national waste classification as well as international countries; preparing for the evaluation process and industrial waste data at SCE. In addition to classifying establishments and collecting data based on the classification, carrying-out statistics, filling international questionnaires and comprehensive diagrams of all types of wastes, and assign companies to collect and recycle wastes. The workshop also recommended the need to address main hospitals in the Kingdom to identify the quantity of medical wastes.