India, Jan. 26 -- WASHINGTON - The Middle East and North Africa region generates more waste per person than the global average and causes an estimated US$7.2 billion in environmental damage each year, according to a new World Bank report: Waste Management in the Middle East and North Africa.
The region produces over 155 million tons of waste annually - a figure expected to double by 2050 if no action is taken. Rising waste generation is increasingly threatening public health, the environment, and the region's tourism industry.
"Urban centers across the MENA region are on the frontline of the waste challenge," said Almud Weitz, Regional Practice Director, Infrastructure, World Bank. "Improving waste service delivery is critical to reducing...