Assad Thanks Waste Collectors

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad honoured waste collectors for “preserving the civilised face of the country and working day and night to keep [the country] clean”, the pro-government website Syria News reported on August 27.



Assad reportedly addressed cleaners during a breakfast held in Damascus to thank them for doing their jobs with loyalty and faithfulness.



Syria suffers from a serious problem of waste management expected to grow as the population continues to increase, experts say.



Every year, around a million tonnes of waste is discarded on the streets, on the land and in streams, causing many environmental problems, said an August 23 article in the official newspaper Tishreen.



The newspaper reported that each Syrian citizen produced on average between 190 and 250 kilogrammes of waste yearly.



The daily criticised local authorities for lacking the equipment and the staff to collect garbage efficiently.



It warned that population growth and urban sprawl have exacerbated the problem of waste management, pointing to a lack of appropriate dump sites.