Despite significant financial and human efforts made by donors (UNICEF, Canadian Cooperation, World Vision, etc.) and non-state actors (ANE) (ADECOM, Banlieues du Monde, ECODEV, etc.) the solid sanitation of small towns from 10 to 30 000 inhabitants remains a central issue in Mauritania. The initiatives have followed one another, running out for lack of funding and sustainable support. He missed an in-depth review of the results of these various initiatives and the lessons to be learned for the future. In the towns of Aleg, Maghtaa Lahjar and Boghé, in Brakna, wild deposits are found near dwellings, rivers and children’s play areas, causing significant pollution and health problems ( malaria, diarrhea, etc.). One-off cleaning campaigns are now the main response provided by the municipalities.

The project, led by GRET in partnership with Ecodev (www.ecodev.mr), has the specific objective of promoting local consultation through the definition and implementation of innovative, sustainable and adapted measures for the management of household waste.

This project aims to i) strengthen social cohesion and help create civic awareness, ii) create a space for consultation between the municipality and associative or private actors, iii) strengthen the capacities of civil society organizations by means of support for “their initiatives”, which are coherent and part of a municipal strategy iv) strengthen the municipalities and increase their credibility, v) improve sanitation and the urban environment and reduce the health risks associated with the proximity of illegal waste dumps.

The proposed method consists in setting up a dialogue and a synergy between all the actors of the city. This consultation will be based on field analyzes and the results of past experiences. In each municipality, it will be a question of bringing together the “general sanitation meetings”, at the initiative of the mayors who will then carry all the dynamics of the process. From this consultation, actions, complementarities and a municipal strategy will emerge. The objective of the project is to succeed in bringing all these initiatives together. The project will implement the first actions resulting from this strategy. It will have created a movement and a framework allowing municipalities and associative and private actors to start their actions and their collaboration for a much longer period.

The main results targeted by the action are as follows:

1. A detailed knowledge of past actions and the local context is shared by the stakeholders and a solid household waste management and sanitation strategy is defined in a concerted manner by the municipalities, local stakeholders, associations, cooperatives and private individuals. The municipalities are responsible for the implementation of sustainable solutions, to manage the sanitation of the city.
2. The municipalities and local actors are strengthened and have the means, skills, technical, institutional and economic solutions adapted to manage the sanitation of the municipality. They reliably and sustainably test and implement waste management initiatives.
3. Innovative and profitable waste recovery initiatives (recovery and recycling) are tested and implemented. These initiatives will be adapted to the problems of each municipality and will develop more in some municipalities than in others.
4. The populations are informed, participate and adhere to the system. There are spaces for discussion and reflection between the 3 municipalities at the municipal level as well as at the level of civil society where the actors discuss their practices and capitalize on their activities. Advocacy is carried out with state structures in order to put in place support to municipalities for waste management.

At the end of its third year, the project has thus made it possible to:

• The development of three municipal waste management strategies supported by the municipalities;
• The establishment of waste collection services, two door-to-door by truck, in municipal management and the last in Boghé by towable carts in a central district of the city, the extension being planned for 2013. Subscribers pay a rate adapted to the service (around 1000 UM per month or 2.6 euros).
• Carrying out training courses for women’s cooperatives and removers to recover part of the waste (particularly plastics). More than 2 tonnes were thus collected in 2012.
• The provision of training and close support by Ecodev with municipalities and advocacy was developed to promote solutions adapted to the contexts of cities.