Tehran, May 15, 2007 - The United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF/SGP) will support the Government in improving rural solid waste management in the country.

Under a Letter of Understanding (LoU) that was signed today between UNDP-GEF/SGP and the Municipalities & Rural Municipalities Organization (MRMO), the two sides will support mutual activities for empowerment of the local communities and increasing their participation in improvement and development of rural solid waste management system.

The two-year agreement will aim to develop an integrated rural solid waste management system in a period of two years, and improve environmental health conditions in four pilot villages through participatory approaches and creating effective links among decision makers and community members.

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Knut Ostby said before signing the LoU that an important advantage of this initiative was its success in bringing together key players at national, provincial and local levels for decision making on and carrying out the improvement and development of rural solid waste management system in the country.

The pilot projects will be limited to carrying out waste source separation, recycling, collection, transportation, sanitary solid waste disposal, cleaning the streets, animal waste management, environmental training and empowerment of rural municipalities and local communities. The goal of the initiative is to address the issues of poverty, environmental sustainability, health promotion, job creation and empowerment of disadvantaged groups (especially women). By so doing, it will help to achieve some of the key milestones of the country's National Development Plan and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular goals 1 and 7, Eradication of Poverty and Ensuring Environmental Sustainability.