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Enhancing national knowledge of GHG inventories in the waste sector

Local capacities in Algeria have been strengthened on a sustainable basis by training local trainers in greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and mitigation options in the waste sector. The local trainers then trained actors involved directly and indirectly in compiling the GHG inventory in the waste sector for Algeria’s first Biennial Update Report (BUR) and third National Communication (NC).

By ratifying the Paris Agreement in October 2016, the Algerian Government emphasised the need to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, and its commitment to implementing its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Algeria is targeting a reduction of between 7 per cent (unconditional) and 22 per cent (conditional) in GHG emissions by 2030.

Algerian context

Algeria has undertaken several activities relating to waste management and its share of GHG emissions. Institutional and regulatory instruments have been developed to produce less waste and create governmental institutions responsible for waste management.

Algeria has submitted two national National Communications (NCs) to date, one in 2001 and the other in 2010. The third NC as well as the first biennial update report (BUR) are in development. In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment and Renewable Energies launched a process for training Algerian experts from several institutions involved in preparing the GHG inventory for the waste sector as trainers, who will then be able to deliver this training to other actors.

This training of trainers is part of a long-term training process that seeks to develop existing knowledge and strengthen in-country capacities in a sustainable way. It is also geared towards including all Algerian stakeholders involved in the waste sector

The training

In this context, two activities took place in Algiers in May and June 2019. First, the training session on GHG inventories and mitigation options in the waste sector, which had been developed by the Information Matters and Concepts for sustainable solid waste management and circular economy projects of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as well as the Resources and Waste Advisory (RWA) Group, was delivered in May 2019 to six experts from the most important Algerian institutions in charge of solid waste, liquid waste and preparing GHG inventories. Specifically, these were the National Waste Agency, the National Office of Sanitation and the National Agency for Climate Change. In particular, the six experts were trained in accordance with the 2006 IPCC guidelines and in-depth calculation methods in the waste sector. This training was organised by the local GIZ project Strengthening of climate governance with regard to the Nationally Determined Contribution and the global GIZ project Information Matters.

The second activity consisted of offering this training – this time prepared and supervised by the now-trained experts – to a wider target audience including data managers, data collectors, local authorities and operators in June 2019.

The training process has achieved its objectives also, not least by strengthening the network of national experts in Algeria and optimising the methodology of data collection methodology. Additionally, the first training session delivered by the six national experts in June 2019 also lay the first initial foundations for the work on the waste sector’s GHG inventory for Algeria’s first BUR and third NC.

The ‘train the trainer’ approach has therefore proven its value. For instance, Algeria now has more sustainable in-country capacities for compiling the current and upcoming GHG inventories. There are also plans to have the new Algerian trainers hold more workshops for their peers in the wilayas to further institutionalise the GHG inventory process and build a national Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system.

More information on the training in general can be found here. The training can be modified in line with the context of other countries and can be applied for here: climate.helpdesk@giz.de.