"Djibouti City Zero Waste" Campaign

The Zero Waste initiative is a citywide environmental and public-space program led by the Municipality of Djibouti-Ville to improve urban cleanliness, reclaim public areas, and modernize the capital’s image.¹ It combines rapid, highly visible clean-up operations with citizen mobilization and clear communication campaigns. Activities are often aligned with national observances to build momentum, broaden participation, and embed shared responsibility for waste prevention and public-space care.²

The initiative’s vision is to “create a clean, safe, and modern capital where residents, businesses, and visitors share responsibility for preventing waste, caring for public space, and protecting the environment”.³ Its aims include eliminating bulky waste and abandoned vehicles that obstruct circulation,⁴ protecting and beautifying coastal and beach areas through recurring clean-ups,⁵ and strengthening municipal service capacity to sustain cleanliness citywide.⁶

To achieve these objectives, the initiative brings together coordinated operational, civic, and enabling measures:^{7 8 9}

• Abandoned-vehicle removal: Multi-day, multi-district operations tow derelict or out-of-service vehicles, with site security provided by law enforcement and logistical support from technical partners.
• Public-space clean-ups and beautification: Cleaning streets and squares is paired with façade painting, pruning and reforestation, drainage repair, and coastal or beach clean-ups to enhance safety, aesthetics, and public health.
• Civic awareness and mobilization: Elected officials lead neighborhood walk-throughs and calls to action, engaging residents, youth groups, and private companies in recurring clean-up activities.
• Partner logistics and equipment coordination: The municipality coordinates trucks, lifting gear, and traffic management with public agencies and private operators to ensure efficient execution.
• Service reinforcement: Progressive upgrades to the collection fleet, routing systems, and operational capacity reduce waste accumulation and improve long-term service reliability.

These combined interventions improve circulation, reduce illegal dumping, and restore the environmental quality of urban and coastal areas, creating a cleaner, more livable city.¹⁰

The initiative is led by the Municipality of Djibouti-Ville in close coordination with the National Gendarmerie and district-level elected officials.¹¹ Technical agencies and private-sector partners contribute logistics, machinery and workforce support,¹² while neighborhood leaders, youth groups, and residents actively participate in community clean-ups and awareness activities.¹³ Municipal communication channels and local media outlets amplify calls to action and highlight achievements to sustain public engagement.¹⁴
The initiative benefits all city residents, especially youth and families who use public spaces more safely and frequently. Through repeated, visible operations and community participation, the Zero Waste Initiative strengthens social cohesion, fosters civic responsibility, and embeds environmental stewardship into Djibouti-Ville’s urban culture.¹⁵