Municipal Solid Waste management in developing Countries

Introduction

The increasing population and urbanization has lead to a higher production of Waste and a growing
demand for proper MSWM(Municipal Solid Waste Management). In developing countries, the
unsafe disposal of waste onto open land is linked with poverty, urbanization, lack of education. The
unsafe disposal of waste poses serious health and environmental issues. The rapid urbanization has
caused The municipal authorities in charge to be challenged due to their lake of financial resources,
and poor governance . Thus, This paper utilises A number of research studies which have been
undertaken to identify the relevant stakeholders and the factors which influence the performance of
SWM in developing countries. It further aims to propose sustainable SWM solutions for these
countries. MSWM is an issue needing urgent attention due to its negative health and environmental
impacts as well as

The MSWM strategies used in developed countries have limited application to these countries. Thus
the examination of the MSWM cycle in these countries in all phases from collection, transportation,
treatment and disposal is necessary to provide sustainable recommendations based on their
environmental, economic, cultural, technical and institutional impacts.

Solid Waste management cycles

Municipal solid waste management consists of various phases.

Generation and Seperation:

The quantity and type of Waste generated is dependent upon several factors such as the income
level, population, climatic conditions, social behaviours. This is seen in the growing annual waste in
Indian cities from 6 million in 1947, 48 million tons in 1997 and is projected to rise to 300 million
tonnes by 2047 where greater waste is generated in higher income areas. Municipal solid waste
includes a variety of category such as commercial, food waste, rubbish, institutional waste industrial
waste, construction and demolition waste. Cities with Lower socio-economic status tend to
produce higher content of biodegradable waste ( food waste, fruit and vegetables of 40%-60%),
recyclable waste( paper with 3%-6%, glass, metals and paper of less than 1%) as well as fine
earth(30%-40%)(Sharholy et al., 2008). In chennnai, population has increased from 2.47 million to
6.56 million whilst waste generation has increased from 0.32 kg/capita to 0.61 kg/capita.

Biodegradable waste

Collection, transfer and transport:

Waste recovery occurs in all phases of the MSWM. The informal sector or scavangers collect and
recyclables for extra income, which then enters the chain of merchants and is transferred to the
industry for use .

MSW collection is done very poorly in India, where waste are stored in a common bin without being
segregated into different types. The municipal authorities are challenged due to a lack of skill and
finance. As opposed to large national agencies, public private partnership groups such as the French
Onyx group has produced good results with cheaper collection systems. Such groups can only
achieve success through a clear contract between the municipalities and the private groups.
Similarly local community based groups also play a central role in contributing towards increasing
the MSWM performance. This allows them the ability to get involved and become active members
of the SWM process. Local house to house schemes have been implemented in Indonesia, in the city
of Yogyakarta using tricycles, further reducing the work needed to be done by municipal authorities.
By recycling, the waste needed to be transported from the intermediate collection point is also
reduced. Similarly, Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council has recognized the role of the informal sectors
such as the public, where Waste dumped in the local municipal land fill is sorted into different
categories and sold by the local people as means of extra income. This has further increased the
role of Composting for energy. To reduce Biodegradable waste in Bangladesh, Dhakas Muncipal
Corporation has formed Community based groups and provided them composting plats.

Similarly, in Mumbai, India, ALMS ( advanced localty management schemes) formed by community
based groups are working together with the Municipal authorities and hold regular meetings to
address the status of the community. This communication.

Treatment:

Once, Waste is transferred to the local collection point, resource recovery and recycling activities are
carried out by all sectors. In Philippines, resource recovery has resulted in increasing the volume of
trade by 39%(World Bank 2001). This also has associated transport costs.

Final disposal:

Waste disposal is a big challenge to developing countries due to the limitation of resources and lack
of technical knowledge on SW. However, some new techniques being used include Composting,
WTE(waste to energy ) by incinerating, bio methanation and palletisation. However, Composting it
only accounts for 6% - 7% of the MSW.

Composting is the process of breaking down the biodegradable waste by microorganism. It offers
the cheapest and the most effective approach to treating the organic fraction of MSW. Similarly
Vermi-composting treats decomposed organic waste, where worms process them into nutrient rich
fertelizers. This technology could produce significant benefits.

Biomethanation: also turns organic waste into manure and biogas which can be used as fuel.

Incineration: thermal waste can be turned into carbon dioxide, water and non-combustible
materials. However, in India, it is only limited to the hospital use .

Prolysis: Which converts solid waste into energy.

Due to the inadequate funds, 93% of the MSW is disposed of onto landfills in an uncontrolled
manner. In developing countries landfills provide safe disposal of waste underneath the earth.
where it is covered by earth. However, in developing countries open landfills can lead to the
leachate into the soils significantly damaging the environment. It also produces landfill gases such as
CO, N2, hydrocarbons, organosulfur and heavy metals, which contributes significantly towards global
warming and climate change.

Recycling:
Why is this a global concern?

The uncontrolled dumping of waste onto open land poses significant health and environmental risks.
Due to the increasing urbanization, people are forced to settle around these sites, which exposes
them directly to various diseases. Thus new landfill sights have to be found away from the urbanites.

This causes an increase in cost as transportion costs also increase.Thus the combination of lack of
guidelines in terms of proper MSWM results into the inability to find a proper location for new
landfills, alongside the failing operations in desingn. Therefore, they become dependent on the
conventional designs as applied by practiced by developed countries. However, these solutions
results into little success as it does not take into consideration the various political, social, economic,
environmental and technical aspects of a developing country. Although other methods such as
composting is useful, new landfills still have to be found.

Due to the associated costs of locating and designing new landfill, developing countries are forced to
rely on foreign aid. Thus a more practical solution is to upgrade and improve the open dump sites
into sanitary landfills. This is a systematic procedure achieved through many steps, which can serve
to reduce the environmental and health implications of open dumps and also provide the municipal
authorities with sufficient time to plan for building new landfills. This strategy has been practiced in
Malaysia in 1988.

Similarly,

Environmental and health effects:

Solid waste management in developing countries is failing partly due to the negligence from the
international community and due to the public and national sector

Various MWM strategies acquired from developed countries has been tested by the municipal
authorities with very little success. Trying to adapt these strategies, has resulted in to the use of
expensive equipment, high associated costs of maintenance, defiency in funding and budget.

Further irresponsible land filling alongside illegal dumps along the streets, lakes, riversides, canals,
drains can serious health and environmental issues leading to cities becoming Garbage Cities
(Halla 1999, p. 352).

The stakeholders involved in the SWM are : the government authorities, non- government
organisations, formal and informal sectors, community groups and individuals. They are all involved
in all the phases of MSW. Where the government authorities have recognized and integrated them
into the system, has led to great improvements in MSWM performance.

The typical methods in place including the informal sector cannot achieve a sustianble MSW unless
according to Omuta(1987, p.78).

Issues:

Some developing countries follow the traditional MSW collection system whereby the focus is to
collect the waste, transport it and get it out of sight

The policies in place are limited and uncoordinated in their application which cause
confusions and carelessness. Similarly, the polices are not applied as in Cameroon as in
Article 43(2) of the law on the Environment written to reduce waste generation, increase
recycling and

They survive

Limitations:

In many developing countries, little research has been done and there is a lake of reliable data
concerning the generation rates, characteristics, formal and informal sectors. In some cases, even at
the national level there is no detailed waste polices. Such data is essential in making policies,
planning and setting realistic goals that can be measured in terms of quantity. The failure of these
systems are evident by the consistent dumps found on the corner of streets. Many municipal officers
make the same trial and error mistakes.

- Lack of authority to address people, resources and infrastructure

- Limiting communications
- Political interference,
- Lacking skills of municipal workers
- Lack of awareness

Therefore, engineers have to develop solutions that taken into account the political, economic,
social and cultural issues of a region to achieve an engineered waste management.

Focus on why solutions adapted from other countries do not work

Conclusion:

In many developing countries, the MSWM practices in place are inadequate in all its phases in terms
of environmental sustainability, economical feasibility, social awareness, political interference and
its adverse effects on public health. Thus in order to achieve, a sustainable and effective MSWM,
Engineering solutions must be formed around the various factors and stakeholders involved in that
region.
How can you help :

Be part of the solution:

References

Sharholy, M., Ahmad, K., Mahmood, G., & Trivedi, R.C., 2008. Municipal solid waste management in
Indian cities a review. J. Waste Manag. 28, 459467.