Effects of location and management of solid waste disposal sites in urban settlements

Abstract

Local authorities have the statutory responsibility of providing services, including solid waste management for the population in their areas -of jurisdiction. Solid waste disposal does not pose a significant problem for the population in rural areas because the amount of land available for assimilation of waste is relatively large. Furthermore it is important to note that the type of waste varies according to the dominant land use activity, which in this case is agriculture. Therefore, the main solid waste disposal method used in rural areas is composting. After decomposition, waste is used as manure in the farm. But solid waste disposal becomes difficult in urban areas, with the production of all types of waste together with increase of population density, which leads to a greater production of waste per unit area and a decreased proportion of land available for its disposal. The local authorities are also facing a problem of financial resources for solid waste management when the demand is fast growing. Limited financial resources have been cited as the major reason for ineffective solid waste management but there are other reasons as well. Poor management and limited personnel have greatly contributed to inadequate solid waste management. To cut short the cost of solid waste management, dumping takes place wherever space is available. Solid Waste is disposed in settings, which provide non-protection of ground or surface water. Solid waste disposal sites are haphazardly located without any environmental impact assessment to identify the consequences of their location. The only criterion for their sitting is accessibility. Concerning solid waste management at the disposal site, open dumping, a cheap way of waste disposal, is the main disposal method used in Nairobi. But this method has other effects. The main problems include unsanitary condition of the disposal site favoring the reproduction of sickness vectors, smell and dust production, leading to reduction of the aesthetic condition of the nearby settlement, security problem and impact on land use. As a result, it has become a near political impossibility to site a landfill because of the 'NlMBY' (Not In My Back Yard) Syndrome. This study was set out to investigate the problems surrounding the issue of sitting and managing solid waste disposal sites in Nairobil and suggest appropriate solutions to the same. The study discovered that there is a positive relationship between the location of the disposal site, the amount and types of waste, the disposal method used and the impacts emanating from solid waste disposal. Therefore after environmental impact assessment for the location of the disposal site, jurisdictions have to adopt a hierarchy of options. You recycle and compost first, bum second, you only bum what you can not recycle or compost and Sanitary landfill is the technology of last resort as a mean of preserving land as a resource. These options are synergistic, they compliment one another and they should develop together. Sanitary landfill as a solid waste disposal option is not as detrimental to the environment as the open dumping, but the costs associated with the construction of sanitary landfills are a detriment to developing countries financial resources. Even technical equipment needed for construction may not be available. Therefore, there is need to last the facility by landfilling reduced volume of waste. This can be achieved through for example recycling. Recycling of solid waste, if encouraged can improve the environment in lowincome areas and help create employment for more low-income earners. But adequate solid waste management can only be achieved by involving all communities and not a few.