Municipal Waste Management Programmes (PMPGIRSU for their acronym in Spanish) are planning instruments of the Mexican environmental policy to achieve integrated solid waste management (ISWM). Yet, one the difficulties when trying to implement waste management projects, is the lack of reliable information at the municipal level. The information reported at the national level shows significant limitations, because it has not been obtained through direct measurements, but through estimates. PMPGIRSU are supposed to be the documents where reliable data about waste management at the municipal level shall be found. This study evaluated PMGIRSUs collected over a period of two years to create a geographic information system (GIS) aimed at producing a reliable source of information for waste management decision-making. Environmental indicators about the structure and quality of the found PMPGIRSU were created and mapped. The results were shocking: only 58 municipalities (of almost 2500) have developed their respective PMPGIRSU and among them, less than 20 have been done it properly. The study concludes that if waste management is truly a priority for Mexican environmental authorities, more attention should be paid to support municipalities on the elaboration of good-quality programmes.
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