MUSCAT : The 39th International Waste Association Congress (ISWA), which began in Muscat on Monday, highlighted best practices in waste management in the MENA region.
Hosted by Oman Environmental Services Holding Company (be’ah), the three-day forum encompassed multiple panel sessions, over 20 breakout sessions, and a parallel exhibition under the theme of achieving Net Zero emissions.
Speaking to the Observer, Dr Mohab bin Ali al Hinai, Vice President of Sustainability and Circular Economy at be’ah, shared the following, “Today marked the opening ceremony of the 39th International Solid Waste Association World Congress.
We’ve drawn over 1,000 delegates from all around the world, including numerous international companies and regional players, to highlight Oman’s initiatives in resource management and the circular economy.”
According to Al Hinai, this theme was chosen in alignment with the world’s pivot towards reducing emissions and achieving net neutrality, specifically in light of the emissions produced by the waste management sector.
The event is the first of its kind in the Middle East region.
“In the context of the Middle East region, the Government of Oman was among the early pioneers in establishing both private companies and state-owned enterprises to manage waste in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.
This is why ISWA recognised these efforts and sought to showcase them as a role model for what has been achieved so far,” Al Hinai stated.
Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) CEO Engineer Ziad al Shiha expressed a similar sentiment, “We are very proud of our colleagues in be’ah for hosting this conference.”
Al Shiha shared that the congress will allow key players in the region to address the main issues and challenges in the region.
Breakout sessions and technical workshops of the conference will focus on four main subthemes: Protecting human health and the quality of the environment; Mitigating climate change; Driving resource efficiency and the circular economy; and new Technologies adoption and sector transformation towards a circular economy.
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