Synchronising ‘Waste to Wealth’ & $5 trillion economy

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As our Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi highlighted, “we have set a target to become a $5 trillion economy in the next five years, we will have to develop our cities in sync with the 21st century world”. 

As India celebrates its World Habitat Day on 7th October 2019 along the theme ‘Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform Waste to Wealth’. The event focuses on the state of human settlements and people’s right to sufficient shelter. It also aims to remind people that they are responsible for the habitat of future generations.

The $5 trillion economy shows the new mantra to ensure mobility, connectivity, productivity, safety and sustainability. In India, an impetus under the Smart City Mission projects is already on cards.  A ‘Swachh’ Bharat will lay the foundation for a ‘Swasth’ Bharat and eventually a Samriddh Bharat. The smart cities project should focus on sustainable urbanisation, good governance, transparent metrics and reporting and, importantly, keeping communities in the spotlight which will go a long way to bridge the contrast between urban and rural landscapes. It is indeed a prerogative mandate to find sustainable solutions to improve basic amenities and resolve problems of rural-urban divide.

Frontier technologies can play a key role in innovating waste management. Examples include:

·         Using new materials such as sustainable polymers in production to avoid waste generation or generate recyclable waste, or nanotechnology in waste treatment, harnessing its increased reactivity;
·         3D printing, which has the potential to generate less waste during production, as well as use “waste” as raw material;

·         Mobile applications, logistics platforms, digital dashboards, cloud computing, big data and Internet of Things for efficient waste collection and management, as well as informed policy-making;

·         Smart bins using artificial intelligence and/or sensors to facilitate sorting.

UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2020-2023 UN-Habitat’s new Strategic Plan reinforces the global agendas and has put a strong focus on sustainable waste management. Improving waste management shall contribute to its four domains of change (reduced spatial inequality and poverty, enhanced shared prosperity, improved urban environment and climate action, effective urban crisis prevention and response).

During this year’s World Habitat Day, UN-Habitat will advocate and raise awareness:

·         To foster integrated waste management in the world’s cities as a step towards a circular economy;

·         To support the development of data collection for Waste Wise Cities;

·         To facilitate the monitoring of the waste value chain together with cities and municipalities;

·         To see sustainable waste management as part of the solution to achieve SDGs

·         To collect, review and highlight frontier technologies that can be used as innovative tools to transform waste to wealth and strengthen the implementation of SDG 11 calling for ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities’.

Let’s join hands to create a sustainable living habitat to create a Clean and Green India. Let’s ACT NOW.

#WorldHabitatDay #sdgs #mobility #connectivity #productivity #safety #sustainability #$5trillioneconomy #SmartCityMission # FrontierTechnology #WastetoWealth #SwachhBharat #UNHabitat #SDG11 #ACTNOW #PMModi #CleanIndia #GreenIndia

by #DrArvindkumarpresidentIndiawaterfoundation

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