While many countries in the Middle East’s have an historically high level of waste generation, which remains a huge problem both economically and environmentally, it is also a factor that is driving the region to become a global leader in adopting waste-to-energy (WtE) measures. Much like water, the Middle East has a pressing need to secure new sources of energy in order to accommodate its rapidly growing cities and overall population levels. At the same time, a raft of environmental issues at the national, regional and global levels dictate that this energy expansion must be a clean and sustainable one – a critical factor which is pushing WtE’s advancement as a long-term alternative to relying on landfill sites.
As this brief roundup of WtE policy commitments and tangible investments shows, the Middle East is looking to make 2019 a landmark year for combatting waste in a sustainable manner.
