Background Waste management in Syria is becoming a crucial issue. Around 5 000 tons per day of domestic waste are transported to municipal landfills in Syria. Approximately 90% to 100% of domestic wastes are collected in urban areas in comparison with 64% in rural areas. The overwhelming majority of collected waste is disposed at open dump sites located on the outskirts of towns. Open burning of waste is quite common in open dump sites. Negative impacts of landfills include contamination of surface and groundwater, air pollution, and public health risks from smoke,insects and rodents. Management of solid waste, which represents a growing challenge for the Municipal Administrations in Syria, is a very delicate task not only because of the lack of financial mechanisms and resources but also because of the lack of capacity (international experience, modern technologies, etc.) of the Syrian Administration to develop and implement an adequate strategy for sustainable management. Objectives The SUMASY project aimed to address an important issue for the Syrian economy: the elaboration of a strategy for sustainable solid municipal waste management. The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacity of the Syrian Administration to deal with the environmental challenges faced by the Syrian Municipalities, providing them with knowledge, experience and best practices in order to develop and implement a Strategic Plan on solid waste management. Results The project's activities started in January 2007, but its implementation was halted in May and the project was finally terminated in November 2007. The only objective achieved was the assessment of the baseline scenario related to management of solid waste in Syria.