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The Middle East and North Africa region generates over 155 million tons of waste annually, with per capita waste production exceeding the global average and causing an estimated $7.2 billion in environmental damage each year, according to a new World Bank report.
Without intervention, waste volumes in the region are expected to double by 2050, the bank warned in its report titled "Waste Management in the Middle East and North Africa."
The escalating waste production increasingly threatens public health, the environment, and the region's tourism sector, the report stated. It called for greater investment in improved waste management and a transition to a circular economy.
While waste collection rates remain relatively high across the region, recycling and treatment lag far behind. Less than 10 percent of waste undergoes recycling, while more than two-thirds is mismanaged, leading to increased air, soil, and water pollution, marine debris, and serious health risks.
The region also registers among the highest per capita rates for plastic leakage into oceans, with the Mediterranean ranking among "the world's most polluted seas," according to the report.
The report emphasized that up to 83 percent of collected waste in the Middle East and North Africa region could be reused, recycled, or converted for energy recovery. A shift toward a circular economy could create employment opportunities, particularly in waste services and recycling sectors, potentially transforming the waste crisis into a driver of sustainable growth.
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