Environment Agency Abu Dhabi publishes guide to reduce construction

The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, EAD, in collaboration with The Center of Waste Management, Abu Dhabi, TADWEER, has published a guide entitled, "Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Management in Abu Dhabi".

The guide provides guidance on steps that should be taken by companies in the construction sector to reduce the amount of waste they produce on site. It also addresses how they can take responsibility for the collection, segregation, transfer and disposal of their waste.

According to Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi, SCAD, the total amount of the waste generated in Abu Dhabi has been rapidly growing in recent years. The official figure for 2016 was about 9.69 million tonnes of solid waste produced, more than 26,000/day. The vast majority of waste, about 47 percent, came from construction and demolition, C&D, sites concentrated in and around the vibrant Abu Dhabi City area.

The guide is one of a series issued by EAD that explores the key environmental sustainability challenges facing the Emirate of Abu Dhabi including waste management. This guide provides detailed guidance to organisations operating in the construction sector, including mechanisms for reducing waste production, assessing the quantities of waste disposed for reuse and recycling which will help to protect the environment and reduce the costs of waste disposal and treatment. The guide is available in Arabic and English and can be downloaded from EAD's website.

In addition to the guide, EAD organised a panel discussion at it’s headquarters in Al Mamoura building led by a number of waste management experts. The experts discussed the rewards of an integrated professional and efficient waste management system by taking measures to reduce the production of construction and demolition waste.

"Aligning with the environmental objective of the Abu Dhabi Plan, which has been developed to fulfil the emirate’s long-term vision, Abu Dhabi aims to be a leader in waste management with a specific programme designed to achieve integrated waste management," Shaikha Ahmed Al Hosani, Acting Executive Director, Environment Quality Sector at EAD.

The target for this programme is that 60 percent of waste generated in Abu Dhabi is managed and treated in environmentally and economically sound manner by 2020, she added.

Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director Environmental Information, Science and Outreach Management, said, "We are seeking to transform our approach to C&D waste management by encouraging construction companies and individuals to take more responsibility for their waste and to be accountable for its safe and legal disposal."

According to the 2016 statistics, the greater Abu Dhabi region generated 2,524,436 tonnes of C&D waste, compared to 1,116,692 tonnes in Al Ain region and 891,251 tonnes in the Al Dhafra region.