Key Communications Stakeholders gathered at the Environment Division earlier this week for a workshop which focused on Competency in Behaviour Change Communications.
The meeting was basically designed to empower them to effectively bring across the message of promoting positive behavioural change in waste management practices in Antigua and Barbuda.
Key communications personnel from a number of ministries including Health, Agriculture, Department of Environment and National Solid Waste Management, were sensitized virtually on various topics such as the Fundamentals of Marketing Communications, the Role and Importance of Communications in Waste Management and the Importance of applying Strategy to Communications in Waste Management.
The workshop formed part of an ongoing project on the Reduction of Unintentionally Produced Persistent Organic Pollutants (uPOPs) emissions by improving waste management practices at Landfills.
Landfill Manager, Emmanuel Dubois chaired the workshop which was facilitated virtually under the leadership Stephen Bates, Behaviour Change Communications Expert.
Dubois said that the training session was all a part of an ongoing Persistent Organic Pollutants project where Antigua and Barbuda is among eight (8) OECS states that are involved in the reduction of POPs and uPOPs.
“So we are looking at how we can we bring about changes in terms of safe management of key specialized waste types that will reduce the whole aspect of POPs in Antigua and Barbuda.”
Dubois underscored the importance of the meeting to Antigua and Barbuda.
“it’s critical because we are hoping to see people look at waste as a resource and not something to be thrown away, so we are trying to seek positive behaviour whereby we can look at waste this is valuable, not just things that are being thrown away and at the end of it affect our environment, so looking at waste as a resource will minimize the waste that’s going to your disposal site and thus use it as a resource.”
He said one of the end products of this training session will be a Pilot Composting Project at the Landfill where green waste and other organic waste types will be processed. This is expected to commence early next year.
In Antigua and Barbuda, the aim, according to Dubois is to have zero waste and with zero waste, very little space for landfilling will be required as most of the waste will be utilized as resources.
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Behaviour Change Communications Expert. Well we need lots of you guys down here. Cause I have give up on my people when it comes to littering. Just a few months ago Solid Waste had an Island wide community cleanup of bulk waste. They were surprise as to the quatity of bulk wast that was sitting in the various community. Causing a health hazard in some instances. And if they go back now in some of these constituencies they won’t beleive the accumulation that has occurd from then till now. And when you look at the side of the roads with the littering is astounished. No wonder the havy rain the other day saw many waterways blocked because of this waste. Juts walking my usual health walk at Sir Vivian Richard Stadium had me upset once again. People just throw everything out of their car windows. That kind of behavior cannot stop with some divine intervention or these professionals in Behavior Change Communication. I really hope they can make a difference. I would be forever gratefull to them if they succeed.
Nasty set of people is what we are.
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