Maputo — The African Development Bank (AfDB) may support Mozambique's capital Maputo in solid waste management, strengthening sanitation and drainage capacities with a focus on the treatment and reuse of wastewater and fecal sludge.

The possibility of cooperation was raised this Monday by the Municipal Sanitation and Drainage Company (EMSD), which aims to draw on experiences and mobilize technical assistance from the AfDB and other development partners to improve the management of the Maputo's sanitation infrastructure.

According to Borges da Silva, EMSD Chairman, the Maputo Municipality intends to make better use of the installed capacity at the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), including the basins designated for fecal sludge retention.

"The Maputo municipality, through EMSD, faces several challenges. Among them is precisely the management and operation of the WWTP. Fecal sludge could cease to be viewed merely as waste and instead become a raw material with the potential to produce fertilizers for agriculture", he said.

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Da Silva explained cooperation with the AfDB could help transform current sanitation challenges into development opportunities through technical assistance, project development, and the mobilization of funding.

"Development agencies offer at least three important components that we believe we can capitalize on. First, the technical assistance component. We will continue discussions with the AfDB and the agencies themselves to see if we can mobilize technical assistance for EMSD and support for project development", he said.

For his part, AfDB Resident Representative Rómulo Correa highlighted the potential of the wastewater treatment plantfacilities and expressed admiration for the "municipal company's ability to expand its operations and increase treatment capacity for the residents of Maputo and Matola."

"A key aspect that particularly caught the AfDB's attention was EMSD's potential to implement a circular economy. The concept involves putting previously unused waste to productive use, such as producing fertilizers for the agricultural sector or generating biogas", he said.

Maputo currently faces growing challenges regarding sanitation and drainage, exacerbated by the impact of climate change and the aging of some existing infrastructure. The Maputo Municipal Council is only capable of collecting collect 60 percent of the approximately 1,366 tons of waste generated daily in Mozambique's capital.

EMSD currently spends approximately 2.5 million meticais per month, according to data provided by the institution. In this context, transforming fecal sludge into fertilizer and biogas into an energy source could contribute not only to improving waste management but also to reducing waste and creating new economic opportunities.

The cooperation currently under discussion among EMSD, the AfDB, and other partners could thus place waste valorization at the heart of the response to the capital's sanitation challenges, linking improvements in public services, environmental protection, agriculture, and energy production.