The study of the ambitious project to modernize solid waste management in the city of Kaédi, Mauritania, officially began in August 2025. This structuring project, led by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and coordinated by the Project Coordination Unit MOUDOUN, constitutes a key milestone in providing the city with sustainable waste collection and treatment infrastructure.

Funded by a grant from the International Development Association (IDA), the technical, environmental and social studies contract was awarded to CONCEPT SA. Kaédi will be the third city in Mauritania to benefit from CONCEPT's expertise in the field of waste management engineering, after Rosso and Kiffa. The studies carried out over the last two years for these two cities have enabled Moudoun to carry out the work on the CET and transfer centers, work which is nearing completion as of today.

The context of Kaédi, a town of just over 60,000 inhabitants, facing significant waste management challenges (illegal dumping, obstruction of drainage channels, health risks, pollution), makes this project particularly eagerly awaited by its population and essential for its future development. The approach adopted aims not only to resolve immediate sanitation problems but also to establish a sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly system.

The missions entrusted to CONCEPT SA include conducting a detailed baseline assessment and waste characterization, developing a sustainable management plan, carrying out technical studies ranging from the Preliminary Design (APS) to the Detailed Preliminary Design (APD), producing an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) including an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and a potential Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), as well as preparing the final Tender Documents (DAO) for works and supplies.

At the outset of its mission, CONCEPT SA mobilized a team of five experts who traveled to Kaédi. They resided there for two weeks, during which they held meetings with local authorities and local urban planning and public sanitation and hygiene service operators, as well as with grassroots community representatives. The team of experts also conducted field investigations that led to the characterization of household and similar waste and the mapping of illegal dumpsites and potential collection points. Upon returning to Nouakchott, CONCEPT's experts presented the initial findings to Moudoun and a World Bank delegation.