Historical background
The rational management of municipal solid waste is one of the most important challenges for the Republic of Cyprus, taking into account the low performance of Cyprus as regards the high European objectives set and also the fact that around 80% of the quantities of waste produced ends up at the landfill.
Within these framework and in compliance at the same time, with the provisions of the principal law governing the management of waste in Cyprus, the Waste Law 185(I)/2011 which harmonises Directive 2008/98/ΕC and the European obligations of Cyprus, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment prepared the updated Strategic Management on Municipal Waste (SMWS) 2015-2021.
The purpose of the National Strategy 2015-2021 is to determine the framework, actions, measures, requirements and procedures that must be followed in the next six years to manage municipal waste.
The SMWS focuses on the management of municipal waste describing and analysing the existing situation as regards waste management, the evaluation of the future trend of waste production, the quantitative and qualitative objectives, the assessment of new infrastructure requirements and the intended measures and projects by defining specific deadlines.
The ultimate objective of SMWS is to establish an integrated, sustainable Plan for the Management of Solid Waste for every category of waste, ensuring the protection of the environment, public health and the definitive upgrading of the solid waste management processes until 2020.
Among other measures described as a priority in SMWS 2015-2021, is the closure and restoration of the Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites (UWDS) of the District of Nicosia and Limassol.
European Framework Directive 2008/98/EC of 19 November 2008 was incorporated in Cypriot national legislation and was published in the Official Gazette of Cyprus on 23.12.2011.
To harmonise with the above European Directive, the Department for the Environment prepared the “Strategic Management of Municipal Waste 2015-2021” and the required Plan for its implementation, the “Municipal Waste Management Plan 2015-2021” which were approved in February 2016.
Competent Authority
Until recently, there were two jointly Competent Authorities for the implementation of the provisions of the National Strategy: The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment and the Ministry of the Interior [Law 185(I)/2011]. Following an agreement between the two Ministries for the separation of responsibilities and actions, the former performed sorting measures at source and the latter was engaged in the conclusion of the infrastructure works on behalf of the Local Authorities. The duties of the Ministry of the Interior, which are provided for in the Waste Law, 185(I)/2011 were transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment in accordance with the Waste (Amendment) Law 3(Ι)/2016.
By way of a decision of the Council of Ministers, the WDD shall act as the technical department which shall promote new construction works, to be deemed necessary within the framework of the implementation of the National Strategy for the Management of Municipal Waste2015-2021 and the consequential management Plans.
Among other things, the WDD will be responsible for the conclusion of the works for the Restoration of Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites (UWDS) of the districts of Limassol and Nicosia.
These two projects are also included in the planning documents of planning period 2014-2020 of the General Directorate of European Coordination and Development Programmes (D.G EPCD) for co-financing from the Cohesion Fund, in the Business Programme “Competitiveness and Sustainable Development”.
In 2005, the Cyprus Strategic Plan on the “Restoration of the Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites” was drawn up, in which 113 UWMS have been totally recorded throughout Cyprus:
The 37 UWDS of the district of Paphos have been out of order since July 2005 following the commencement of the first phase of Paphos Landfill site. The 15 UWDS of the districts of Larnaca/ Famagusta were set out of order in 2010 following the commencement of the operation of the Integrated Waste Management Installations Plant (IWMIP) in Koshi. In the districts of Larnaca/ Famagusta and Paphos, the restoration of inactive UWDS was finalised in 2014-2015 by the Ministry of the Interior.
The 42 UWDS of the district of Limassol (excluding the Vati UWDS) and the 19 UWDS of the district of Nicosia (excluding Kotsiatis UWDS) were put out of order in 2012 while as mentioned above, only the two (2) larger UWDS at Vati and Kotsiatis are in operation. The UWDS at Vati and Kotsiatis are intended to be put out of order by way of the diversion of all quantities of solid municipal waste that ends up at the said UWDS towards Integrated Waste Management Installations Plants (IWMIP).
Definition and purpose of the restoration of UWDS
The definition of the “Restoration of UWDS” means the restoration of disposal sites in their initial environmental condition and subsequent care (environmental control and monitoring).
The objective purpose and the expected benefits from the restoration projects of UWDS include:
1. The protection of the environment, ground water resources, public health and the raising of the standard of living of those who benefit from the works (as a result of the reduction, elimination, control of pollutants emitted from the landfill site, the minimisation of the inflow of rainwater from the surrounding area, the satisfactory run off of the final surfaces of the landfill site, the prevention of the infiltration of drainage into the water table, the controlled emission/ collection of bio gas produced etc).
2. The integration- reinsertion in the natural environment (by way of grassing using flora species of the area and attraction of endemic fauna species).
3. Securing the possibility of reusing the site.
Furthermore, as a result of the advancement of UWDS restoration projects, it is expected to achieve the objective for sustainable development, by eliminating the negative impact of the uncontrolled disposal of waste upgrading the rural environment and attracting the creation of new public utility works.