CoW Ramps Up Cleaning Drive

Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, is making bold strides to reclaim its status as one of Africa’s cleanest and most liveable cities through its annual mayoral cleanup campaign. Covering all ten constituencies, the initiative engages residents, schools, businesses and civil society to keep the city’s streets, public spaces and informal settlements clean.

“This campaign reflects strong political leadership and community commitment,” says Lydia Amutenya, corporate communications and public relations officer for the City of Windhoek (CoW). “Under the theme ‘My Waste, My Responsibility’, residents and stakeholders are encouraged to take ownership of their environment, promoting civic pride and sustainability.”

Sustainable cleanliness

The campaign goes beyond aesthetics. Amutenya highlights that a cleaner city directly contributes to public health by reducing pollution and communicable diseases while also boosting tourism and economic growth. “Tourism contributes around 7% to Namibia’s GDP and supports thousands of jobs. Clean, attractive spaces enhance visitor experiences, encourage longer stays and promote repeat visits. Beyond tourism, a well-maintained environment fosters investor confidence, lowers municipal and healthcare costs and improves residents’ quality of life, making cleanliness both a public health imperative and an economic driver,” she notes.

Windhoek’s efforts also align with national priorities, including the formalisation of informal settlements. Amutenya explains that the city is addressing challenges such as illegal dumping and limited waste collection through community engagement, education and innovative initiatives like the EU-supported Waste Buy-Back Centre, which allows residents to exchange recyclables for income.

The city has already seen tangible improvements, including cleaner public spaces, reduced littering and a decline in illegal dumping. Formal residential areas tend to lead in cleanliness, while informal areas with strong community participation are showing notable progress. “Civic pride and proactive participation are key to sustaining cleanliness city-wide,” Amutenya adds.

The City’s long-term approach is guided by the Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) 2022–2027, which provides a comprehensive framework built on four strategic pillars:

• Waste minimisation, reduction and recycling

• Awareness-raising and waste education

• Compliance and enforcement of by-laws

• Investment in waste management services

“Ultimately, the strategy recognises the critical role of residents,” says Amutenya. “By adopting the reduce, reuse, recycle mindset and actively participating in campaigns, communities become central to building a cleaner, healthier and more inclusive Windhoek. With this integrated approach, the city aims to turn waste into an opportunity for innovation, empowerment and sustainable urban development.”

Waste crises

Global municipal waste is set to jump from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, with associated costs potentially reaching US$640 billion annually if no action is taken. The Global Waste Management Outlook 2024, jointly published with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), warns that urgent measures, especially adopting a circular economy approach, could not only curb these costs to US$270 billion but also deliver an annual net gain of US$108 billion. The report urges governments, municipalities, businesses and citizens to act now to prevent a waste crisis.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) emphasises that a zero-waste approach offers a sustainable solution by keeping materials in circulation, minimising residual waste and treating waste as a resource. By using best available techniques, over 99% of waste can be reused, recycled, converted to energy, or safely disposed of. Transitioning to zero waste requires long-term planning, local adaptation, national policies, public-private partnerships and behavioural changes at all levels to promote resource efficiency, circularity and sustainable urban management.

Maggie Forcelledo Paz