The region of the project covers the three provinces of Llanquihue, Valdivia and Osorno with a total of 28 municipalities and about 900,000 inhabitants, of whom 71% are urban population. In the year 2002, the annual quantity of solid waste in the three provinces (including industrial, commercial and hospital waste) rose to about 341.000t of which the largest part was domestic waste.

In most municipalities, collection and transport of waste are arranged in a satisfactory manner. However, there is considerable potential to increase efficiency and cost savings, particularly by optimizing collection, transport and general logistics of the systems. In addition, there are major shortcomings in terms of the final deposit of domestic solid waste: none of the sites for the disposal complies with the existing environmental and health standards. Finally, the legal system of solid waste management is fragmented and incomplete. The consequence of the deficiencies in the sector is a growing environmental pollution which poses a serious risk to the future development of the region.

The project is supported by two types of consultancy: The Implementation Consultant advises in the planning, tender and supervision of the construction of new landfills and transfer stations as well as in the acquisition of equipment. The service provided by the Consultant for Complementary Measures is primarily focused on institutional strengthening and the services described here.