Nepali professor speaks on solid waste mgmt at MMSU
Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti, a professor from Nepal, delivered a lecture on solid waste management at the Center for Flexible Learning on January 21, following his courtesy visit to Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr.
During the lecture, Dr. Upreti shared his expertise on municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in South Asia. He drew from his experience as an adjunct professor at the Agriculture and Forestry University and the Nepal Center for Contemporary Research.
He emphasized the critical role of public policy in water, sanitation, and hygiene β solid waste management (WASH-SWM) β explaining why past policies have often fallen short and outlining the policy formulation process. Dr. Upreti highlighted regional waste trends and the hierarchy principle of MSWM: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, and dispose. He also discussed best practices in waste segregation, as well as agricultural, industrial, and medical waste management.
Dr. Upreti identified the major challenges facing solid waste management in South Asia, stressing that traditional disposal-focused approaches are no longer sufficient. He explained that effective solutions require integrated, sustainable, and circular waste management systems that prioritize waste reduction, proper segregation, recycling, and resource recovery. Strong governance, sustainable financing, updated policies, and active citizen participation are also essential.
The lecture was organized by the Sustainability and Futures Thinking Directorate, led by Dr. Arlene Gonzales, and attended by students and faculty from the environmental science, chemical engineering, and agricultural and biosystems engineering departments. It was also graced by Vice President for Research, Development, and Innovation Nathaniel Alibuyog.
Through this lecture, MMSU students and faculty gained valuable insights into how sustainable waste management practices and policy reforms can drive environmental protection and improve public health in South Asia. (πππ)
πΈ Dr. Arlene Gonzales
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