In order to articulate responses to regional challenges on the issues related to waste management, the UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office, with the support of the International Environmental Technology Center (IETC), facilitated in 2016 the establishment of the University Consortium for Sustainable Waste management in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is comprised by 8 universities of the LAC region, in coordination with the Alliance of Ibero American Networks of Universities for Sustainability and the Environment (GUPES/ARIUSA, in Spanish). Following the formal establishment in May 2016 (Montevideo, Uruguay Declaration), the Consortium was reinforced through the agreement signed by the academic representatives in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in 2017.
The main objective of this initiative is the development and promotion of an academic programme for the sustainable waste management, to promote the education and the training of new professionals through a holistic approach to address challenges related with waste management.
In order to continue the promotion and dissemination of environmentally sound waste management practices and methods in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNEP LAC Office and IETC agreed to continue supporting hte LAC University Consortium on Sustainable Waste Management during 2019-2020, as a suitable platform to deliver certificate courses and related activities in the region2. This document provides an overview of the activities conducted during this period.