Salalah: A workshop to discuss the draft national strategy for integrated waste management began today in the Wilayat of Salalah. Representatives of government units and the waste management sector are taking part in the two-day workshop, which is organized by the Environment Authority.The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Abdullah bin Ali Al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority. The workshop aims to review the status quo of the waste management sector, the challenges involved and future scopes for growth, in addition to reviewing the master plan for waste management as a roadmap for developing the sector.The waste management strategy seeks to build a sustainable national system that protects the environment and safeguards public health, besides supporting investment and innovation, raising the level of governance and institutional integration and consolidating the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to relevant international environmental agreements.The strategy focuses on developing an integrated national framework for managing various types of waste, based on the outcome of assessment of the waste sector. This envisages developing the necessary policies, legislation and executive programmes and upgrading the waste management system in a manner that gradually leads to circular economy.The strategic approaches also include enhancing the efficiency of the institutional and operational structure, defining roles and responsibilities of the parties concerned, enabling partnerships with the private sector and society, encouraging investment in projects of recycling of resources and adopting innovative and sustainable technologies and solutions in various stages of waste management.The workshop reflects the keenness of the Environment Authority to develop a national strategy that is based on consensus and institutional partnership and forms a clear roadmap for developing the waste management system in the Sultanate of Oman in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040.