13.4 Enhanced Technology Transfer within Countries
Extensive technology transfer in the waste management sector is underway. In
developing countries, the principal activities focus on expanding waste management
services and upgrading existing systems. Countries with economies in transition
(CEITs) tend to have a more extensive infrastructure in place, but require substantial
investments in upgrading and maintenance. Even in developed countries, many waste
management systems are aging and must be upgraded to meet community demands or
increasing regulatory requirements.
Expanded investment will provide numerous opportunities to incorporate mitigation
technologies, which can be readily integrated into many projects. To date, however,
most projects have not specifically considered the climate-related impacts of
different waste management systems. When these impacts are considered, it is usually
late in the process, and the focus is on possible "add-on technologies"
such as methane recovery systems. In part this is a function of timing; in countries
with an existing waste management infrastructure, addressing climate issues in
the near-term will likely involve significant deployment of add-on technologies.
Where there is a long history of waste disposal in landfills, for example, add-on
methane recovery will be an important element of mitigation strategies. There
are also design and operating procedures that help increase the amount of methane
recovered for existing control systems. Both developing and industrialised countries
can significantly expand investments in alternative waste management technologies
that avoid GHG emissions. In particular, local composting and recycling programmes
can reduce the need for large centralised landfills, with their GHG emissions
and other environmental implications. The potential of alternative technologies
is largest in developing countries, where the choice of lower cost, less complex
waste management systems can be more acceptable to local communities and impose
fewer institutional, technical and financial burdens on governments than conventional
integrated waste management systems. Industrialised countries are also focusing
increasingly on alternative waste management systems, however, and are promoting
composting and recycling projects as an alternative to continued reliance on large
centralised landfills.
