The database of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Marn) records 486 points throughout the country that have become illegal garbage dumpsto which organic waste, sanitary waste, plastic, paper, cardboard, glass and ferrous material arrive. There are 337 thousand 341.89 meters of land where people throw their waste without any control.
The departments of Chiquimula, Totonicapan and Sololá They are the ones that accumulate the largest number of these clandestine dumps: 66, 51 and 45, respectively, according to the Marn database, which is fed by complaints from citizens, community organizations and local authorities, in addition to notifications from municipalities and information that the ministry obtains through monitoring and field tours.
These illegal garbage dumps are usually identified in ravines, river banks, roads and peri-urban areas, but their location can vary depending on the growth, reduction or cleaning of these spaces, or due to the appearance of new ones. For this reason, the database on these garbage dumps is constantly updated, to the point that more than two thousand have been registered, according to historical data.
According to Annelise Fernández, director of the Directorate for Waste and Solid Waste Management (Dimards), Waste and solid waste represent one of the country’s main environmental challenges.
The appearance of these clandestine garbage dumps impacts the environment, public health and cultural heritage, as is the case with the one located near the Iximché Archaeological Sitein Chimaltenango, department in which they have been identified 33 illegal garbage dumps.
The enterprise reciclemos.gt recently published a video on its social networks in which tons of garbage were seen engulfed in flames at that point.
In this regard, the Marn states that the accumulation of waste in public spaces is the result of a chain of shared responsibilities and that, in the case of the landfill near Iximché, the participation of local authorities and competent institutions is required to remove the waste and avoid a greater impact on the area.
“Cleaning the site is necessary, but to prevent the problem from recurring, adequate collection services, citizen participation, environmental education, community surveillance and greater co-responsibility of all the actors involved are needed,” said Fernández.
Pollution focus
Illegal waste disposal points can contaminate soil and water fountainsaffect the health of communities and deteriorate ecosystems. Furthermore, when waste accumulates in uncontrolled landfills, it generates methane emissions —greenhouse gas more powerful than CO₂—Fernandez stressed.
According to the Dimards report, it has been detected that in 41% of illegal garbage dumps have breeding grounds for mosquitoeswhich become sources of diseases such as dengue.
Therefore, proper waste management is important both to prevent local pollution and to contribute to the fight against climate change.
“The solution to illegal garbage dumps requires a comprehensive approach that combines prevention and management actions for the waste that is already generated,” added Fernández, noting that, in addition to technical and management solutions, it is important to recognize that this is a challenge that requires the participation of public institutions, municipalities, the private sector and citizens.
Eradication
Eliminating a clandestine garbage dump is not an easy task. The Marn indicated that intervention and cleaning do not necessarily imply definitive eradication.
“There are sites that, even after being intervened, once again register waste accumulation in very short periods, even in less than 24 hours,” the ministry explained.
Therefore, Actions must go beyond just cleaning the placesince we must prevent garbage from accumulating again at that point.
The ministry said that the cleaning of clandestine garbage dumps is outside its competence and that it is a job that corresponds to the municipalities, to which it provides technical support to strengthen their planning and implementation capacities of the Comprehensive Management of Waste and Solid Waste (Girds), as well as to promote actions aimed at reducing the appearance of these dumps.
He added that diagnoses and evaluations of technical, administrative, legal and financial capacities are carried out to identify opportunities for improvement and support municipal governments in decision-making in each territory.
The case of Guatemala City
El Marn reports 17 illegal garbage dumps in the department of Guatemalaof which seven are located in the City from Guatemala.
Meanwhile, the Municipality of Guatemala indicates that in 2010 it registered approximately 438 clandestine garbage dumps in its jurisdiction. With the implementation of the project the smart speaker —which began in 2021— the number was reduced to approximately one hundred.
“Although significant progress has been made in the eradication of these critical points, some people continue to change locations to throw waste and garbage, so the number of outbreaks constantly varies,” says the capital commune.
Illegal garbage dumps are located mainly in the zones 4, 5, 7, 12 and 18in sectors adjacent to markets. Part of the problem is the neighbors who do not properly pay for the garbage removal service, says the municipality.
In addition to the smart horn project, the Municipality of Guatemala mentions that it has implemented training and awareness programs for neighbors, as well as cleaning and eradication days of clandestine garbage dumps organized by auxiliary mayors’ offices together with neighbors, educational establishments and private companies, which has made it possible to reduce these waste dumps.