SDG #11 is to “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”
Within SDG #11 are 10 targets, of which we here focus on Target 11.6:
By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
Target 11.6 has two indicators:
Indicator 11.6.1: Proportion of municipal solid waste collected and managed in controlled facilities out of total municipal waste generated, by cities
Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population weighted)
It’s ideal if we can process waste in a materials recovery facility. These separate recycled materials which are then sold on to make products from. Mechanical biological treatment uses the principles of composting or decomposition. Another solution is incineration, harnessing the resultant energy for re-use.
Before all this, it’s best if we’re able to prevent waste at all, before we either recycle, compost, or dispose of it. Each city municipality the world over will have different systems on how they manage their waste.
Very few countries had reported data on the proportion to which their municipalities managed waste. But all countries do have data on the second indicator of this target. Since 2015, the global average exposure to particulate matter of a size of 2.5 micrograms in diameter or less is 31 micrograms per cubic metre. This is a moderate decrease since 2015 of 36 micrograms.
Countries with an average of greater than 50 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre include:
Niger
Nigeria
Cameroon
Egypt
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Kuwait
Bahrain
Afghanistan
Tajikistan
Pakistan
India.
