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Inadequate Sanitation Services to Support a Mega-Event
Inadequate sanitation services pose a significant challenge to supporting a mega-event like COP 30. Over 200,000 residents of Belém lack access to proper sewage systems. While this figure represents only 16% of the population, these communities that are already facing socio-economic challenges will bear the brunt of inadequate sewage systems [1]. The same is true for most of the sanitation systems in the region. With COP 30 bringing in additional infrastructure demands and an influx of visitors, the strain on these marginalized areas will intensify. Efforts to improve sanitation infrastructure before COP 30 must consider the potential impacts on these communities to prevent further marginalization or environmental injustice.
One past example that represents the persistence of socio-environmental issues and inequality in the region is the Aurá Sanitary Landfill catastrophe. The landfill was opened in 1989 near the BR-316 highway but closed down in 2015 due to non-compliance with federal waste regulations. Many people still live around the dump site and rely on scavenging and selling debris to sustain their livelihoods, which exposes them to harmful pollution and diseases [2].
Aurá Landfill near Belém (Photo by Diário do Pará/Wagner Almeida)
Waste Management
Pará is the state with the fourth-lowest sanitation coverage in the country [3].
Earlier this year, the city of Belém experienced a garbage crisis, and piles of waste accumulated in the streets [1].
The city council is in debt of R$15 million to the Guamá Tratamentos de Resíduos waste treatment company [1].
In July 2019, the landfill that serves Belém reached its capacity but will continue to operate until February 2025 [3].
Solution: New Infrastructure
The state and municipal governments have promised to start a selective waste collection service across the city in preparation for COP 30. They have initiated a public procurement process to sort and collect waste [2]. Introducing a public system marks significant progress because previous waste management initiatives have been private and accessible to only a small portion of Belém's residents.
Developing new waste disposal infrastructure can generate jobs for the residents of Belém, specifically the poorest residents. During the Rio Olympics, the income of the poorest 5% grew by 29.3% through the creation of new jobs [5]. Since developments in infrastructure will be needed to support COP 30, the city will also need to hire more waste collectors and sorters to account for increased waste production.
Solution: Green Event Management
As sustainability becomes a growing topic worldwide, there is a growing emphasis on making events of all sizes more environmentally friendly. Commonly known as "greening" an event, this concept aims to minimize negative environmental impacts, but also create a positive and enduring legacy for the local community [6].
COPs should be held to an even higher standard to operate sustainably given the subject matter of the event. Here are some of the main ways COP 30 can use green event management strategies to ensure they are protecting the environment and local community:
Green Procurement
Green procurement, or eco-procurement, is a crucial strategy that COP 30 can use to reduce their environmental impact [6] [7].
In practice, this will include sourcing eco-friendly and locally produced products [7].
Implementing eco-procurement criteria for COP 30 and future cops might drive suppliers to take a look at their sustainability performance [8]
Supplier Sustainability Index (SSI)
One way to guarantee that COP 30 selects only sustainable vendors is to measure their SSI score [6].
SSI is based on measurements of a supplier's energy consumption, carbon emissions, waste levels, water usage, etc. [6].
SSI metrics should also consider the social aspects of sustainability, including fair labor, working conditions, and value to local communities [6].
Water Conservation
COP 30 can reduce water consumption by actively enforcing water conservation measures for attendees.
For example, providing water refill stations instead of plastic water bottles or enforcing towel/linen laundry replacement policies [9] [7].
Water conservation is also important in the construction of new infrastructure, which can be done by recycling water, using water-saving devices, and building water-saving fixtures in new constructions [10].
Waste Minimization
Recycling bins on site can help manage the sorting of materials and prevent the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill [7].
Further, reusable or compostable materials can be used for food to prevent single-use plastics [8].
Waste Audits can be used to track the amount and type of waste produced throughout the event [6].
Solution: Sanitation Concessions
In order to speed up the expansion of sanitation infrastructure in Belém, the government of Para is planning and negotiating with BNDES to auction off the contracts and rights to provide the state its sanitation services, as the state of Para invests (R$24 per person) less than twenty-five percent of the national average (R$111 per person) in sanitation per year. According to the Federal Government's Basic Sanitation Plan, the city should be investing R$231 per individual to reach basic universal sanitation, meaning that the state of Para is only investing around ten percent of what they should be [11].
Learn more about the challenges and opportunties COP 30 presents for Belém using the tabs below!
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