On 17 July 2009, the South African Cities Network (SACN) convened a Sustainable cities seminar on waste-to-energy through biogas. Waste management and pollution are priority municipal urban environmental management challenges. Space for landfill sites has become scarce and communities object to the establishment of new sites. Incineration is not popular as a waste management strategy as civil society objects to the potential for introducing airborne pollution and additional toxins. As more people become connected to the main sewage systems of the city, the capacity of existing sewage treatment works is being placed under strain; many townships have poorly designed systems that result in sewage spills. Cities need to find a way to deal with waste in an integrated and sustainable way.

Another problem facing the cities is the vulnerability of their economies, and of their poorest citizens, to increases in energy prices. With developing countries now increasingly required to play a part in mitigating the risk of climate change, it is difficult to discuss increased energisation without also talking about a reduction in greenhouse gases. Many poor people are forced to use the most polluting sources of energy: coal, paraffin and firewood. The South African government has outlined renewable energy and climate change responses, and implementation actions are now required. One option used extensively in China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan, in particular, is energy generation through biogas.

Proceedings of the seminar and a link to an Energy from waste (biogas) toolkit and feasibility model for municipalities in South Africa can be found on the SACN website at this link.

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