The Dominica Waste Management Mission Report covers the aftermath and disaster waste management of the two devastating hurricanes that struck the Caribbean islands in September 2017.

Two devastating hurricanes struck the Caribbean islands in September 2017, ripping up forests and tearing down homes. The hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged 98% of buildings’ roofs in Dominica and stripped the island almost entirely of its vegetation. At the request of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit deployed two disaster waste management experts to Dominica through its environmental emergency response roster, with support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation as well as the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. During the three weeks they spent there, the experts found that Dominican infrastructure which had already been damaged by Hurricane Erika in 2015 was impeded even further by the recent hurricanes. The key finding of the mission is the urgent need for a clear and long-term waste management strategy. Debris, solid waste and healthcare waste produced before, during and after the disaster, pose a significant risk to communities in Dominica. In order to ameliorate this, institutional and financial challenges hampering waste management must be addressed.

Download the mission report here.