Field Mission in Argentina: Towards a GIRSU System Rooted in Local Realities

Field Mission in the Upper Valley of the Negro River, Argentina: Toward a Solid Waste Management System Rooted in Local Realities 

From May 23 to 29, 2025, the Espelia–Seureca–Hamerkop consortium teams, accompanied by the provincial authorities of Río Negro and AFD, conducted a field mission in the Upper Valley of the Negro River, in the province of Río Negro, Argentina. 
This mission was part of the technical assistance financed by the EU’s Euroclima program and implemented by AFD, aiming to support urban solid waste management and the technical closure of open-air dumps (DCO), with the goal of progressively structuring an Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) at the regional level. 

Mission objective

To understand local waste management dynamics, assess existing infrastructure, identify territorial practices and constraints, and pinpoint the challenges of developing a regional management system. 

On the agenda

• Visits to several open-air dumps, recycling centers, logistics centers, and municipal facilities; 

• Meetings with the municipalities of Cipolletti, Campo Grande, Cinco Saltos, Allen, Fernández Oro, and Contralmirante Cordero; 

• In-depth discussions with local stakeholders: municipal operators, recycling cooperatives, provincial representatives, informal waste pickers; 

• An inter-municipal workshop to share findings, challenges, and ideas for regional cooperation among the six municipalities. 

This fieldwork is a key step towards building a shared diagnosis, supporting reflection on how to design an inter-municipal system adapted to the social, economic, and logistical realities of the area, and completing a comprehensive feasibility study in the coming months. 

Many thanks to the Secretariat for Environment and Climate Change of the Province of Río Negro, the EU, AFD, the municipalities, and all stakeholders met for their commitment, transparency, and warm welcome.