Progress report for
Regional Training Programme on Waste Management and Reduction of Marine Litter
Achievement at a glance
The training programme was conducted twice under the Singapore-Norway Third Country Training Programme (TCTP). The programmes were held in Oct 2017 and Mar 2019 for 45 foreign government officials, mostly from South and Southeast Asia.The programme provided practical seminars on topical issues for civil servants from the Southeast Asian region. The topics covered during the seminars included: (i) strategies for recovery, recycling and solid waste handling; (ii) integrated solid waste management system in Singapore; (iii) control and management of hazardous substances and toxic waste; and (iv) regional and national action planning on marine litter reduction.Experienced speakers from Norway, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries were invited, to share their experiences and facilitate discussion within the field of waste management and marine litter. Participants also visited various government agencies and relevant sites such as Pulau Semakau (Singapore’s first and only remaining offshore landfill) to witness first-hand how Singapore handles its waste.Challenges faced in implementation
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to policy implementation. What was successfully implemented in Singapore, might not necessarily work in other countries as countries need to consider their national priorities and circumstances. In a training programme where participants come from many different countries, it is difficult to adapt and contextualise case studies and policies for each participant/country. However, interactive sessions during the courses, whereby participants shared their own experiences and challenges, facilitated peer-to-peer learning and exposed participants to different contexts. This would in turn help participants find effective solutions in their own countries.Next Steps
We will continue to run courses focused on the issue of marine litter.Beneficiaries
Mid to senior level Southeast Asian officials from the Environment or Planning Ministries as well as other relevant public agencies involved in waste management and/or litter reduction in support of the implementation of SDG 14.