E-waste Data and Statistics in Malawi

4 years ago Ruediger Kuehr Comments Off on E-waste Data and Statistics in Malawi

In the context of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), SCYCLE is partnering with ITU

to support Malawi in conducting a national quantification assessment on e-waste. MACRA, the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority, is currently under a stakeholders’ consultation process to start developing an e-waste policy.

Quantifying the amount of e-waste generated in Malawi will be a fundamental step in ensuring both a proper understanding of the issue at the national level and that policies and guidelines are effectively implemented. With this purpose, SCYCLE will coordinate a workshop in April 2021 on e-waste data and statistics for Malawi, with aims of building national capacity in e-waste statistics principles and improving the collection, quality, and understanding of e-waste data. The workshop will bring together several stakeholders involved in the e-waste sector to enhance cooperation at the national level. The work conducted during and after the workshop will lay the foundation for continuously monitoring e-waste generation in Malawi, efficiently setting national targets and ensuring integration of e-waste data in the policy cycle.

The project will be implemented in cooperation with the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics, which was trained in a workshop conducted by SCYCLE in 2018 and which will offer its experience through direct evidence of how the work on e-waste statistics can be implemented within a country and how it can improve the policy and management sides.

On March 1st, a meeting to kick off the activities on e-waste data and statistics took place with the participation of more than twenty delegates from the main relevant authorities in Malawi – including the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority, the Environmental Affairs Department, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, the National Statistics Office, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Information, the Malawi Revenue Authority, and the city councils of Mzuzu, Luchenza, Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Kasungu.

The contribution of all stakeholders involved in the sector will be essential in helping Malawi apply its newly acquired lessons and insights from training on e-waste data and statistics and deal with increasing quantities of e-waste in the years to come.