Montenegro has launched a 40 million euro waste-management reform project with World Bank support. It includes a regional centre in Nikšić and plans to rehabilitate a disposal site in Zeta, according to information presented at the project’s launch conference, titled “From reform to results: Building a modern waste management system in Montenegro.”
The project is intended to improve waste-management planning and organisation, strengthen local municipal companies, provide new equipment and build missing infrastructure. Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić called it an “important step to improve the whole system” of waste management.
Regional centre planned for Nikšić
The project allocates 16.5 million euros to build a Regional Waste Management Centre in Nikšić. It is planned to serve Nikšić, Šavnik, Plužine and Žabljak, with the possibility of including other municipalities, the project information showed.
The centre is expected to improve waste treatment, recycling and composting, reduce the amount sent to landfills and enable the creation of around 40 jobs. Ćulafić said it “will not mean only a lot for Nikšić” and noted that Montenegro Electricity Company (Elektroprivreda Crne Gore) and the Municipality of Nikšić had worked together on steps taken so far. Those involved are ready to work jointly on delivery, and he expects further progress in the coming period so the centre can become operational as soon as possible.
Montenegro’s waste sector faces underdeveloped infrastructure, outdated equipment at municipal companies, insufficient recycling and treatment capacity, and numerous unmanaged disposal sites. The reform combines infrastructure investment with measures to strengthen municipal services and improve how waste is managed.
Zeta site rehabilitation included
The programme also plans to rehabilitate a waste disposal site covering about 11 hectares at the former Aluminium Plant in Zeta. The area includes Lake Skadar, and the work is intended to reduce risks to human health and the environment and contribute to protecting the area.
Ćulafić said the site problem had persisted for decades and that resolving it was owed to the people of Zeta and Montenegro as a whole. He described rehabilitation as an issue that must be addressed “seriously and responsibly”. He also said the planned activities share the goal of protecting the environment and will require partnership, commitment from all participants, and cooperation with local governments and municipal companies.
World Bank programme coordinator in Montenegro Denis Mesihović said the bank remained committed to supporting the government’s environmental reforms. The bank’s wider support includes stronger environmental management, improved results in the sector, sustainable management of natural resources and greater resilience to climate change.
Mesihović said the partnership combines institutional strengthening and investment, aligned with European Union standards. Environment practice manager Gayana Minasyan said better waste management means “cleaner and healthier communities, more reliable services” and better protection of Montenegro’s natural resources. She described the project as combining stronger institutions, modern waste services and investment to reduce pollution and deliver lasting benefits for people and the environment.
