Post-war solid waste management in Adigrat, Ethiopia

Abstract

Waste is a general term used to describe materials or products considered largely worthless. This study assesses the current post-war state of solid waste management in the city of Adigrat, Ethiopia. It aims to evaluate household waste generation patterns, disposal practices, and community perceptions toward municipal waste services, identifying gaps and proposing strategies for sustainable recovery. A total of 165 households were chosen randomly from the target demographic using a mixed-method research strategy that combined quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews for comprehensive insight. The study found that the average solid waste generation rate among the 165 randomly selected households was 1.087 kg/household/day. Most respondents (81.8%) disposed of their waste in open areas or drainage systems, and 51.2% expressed dissatisfaction with municipal solid waste collection. These practices have significant implications for public health, urban hygiene, and environmental sustainability. To rebuild the system, governments, non-governmental organizations, and concerned citizens should cooperate through coordinated planning and resource mobilization.

Keywords

Solid waste / Post-war / Households / Adigrat

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no competing interests.

References

[1] Adigrat City Municipal Office. Annual Report. [Unpublished Material]; 2020.

[2] Adigrat City Plan and Finance Office. Annual Report. [Unpublished Material]; 2018.

[3] Adigrat University. Structural Plan for Adigrat City. [Unpublished Material]; 2018.

[4] Albira IA, Hamzah TA, Yusoff SM, Noor NM, Emenike CU. Post-war waste composition: Household waste management in Misrata City, Libya. Arab World Geogr. 2018; 21(2-3):114-127.

[5] Albira IA, Hamzah TA, Yusoff SY, Noor NM, Emenike CU. Household solid waste generation: A case study of Misrata city in post-war Libya. Arab World Geogr. 2019; 22(1-2):32-46.

[6] Almasri S. Waste governance under crisis: The case of Syrian municipalities. J Environ Plann. 2022; 18(4):323-338.

[7] Al-Sabouni R. Post-war urban reconstruction in Mosul: Infrastructure and waste management. Iraqi Urban Stud. 2019; 14(2):97-109.

[8] Azad AW. Solid Waste Management in Kabul city of Afghanistan. New Delhi, India. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/12919045/solid_waste_management_in_kabul_city_of_afghanistan [Last accessed on 2019 Mar 25].

[9] Bai R, Sutanto M. The practice and challenges of solid waste management in Singapore. Waste Manag. 2002; 22(5):557-567.

[10] Belay F. Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact of Urban Sprawl: Case of Adigrat City, Punjabi University [PhD Dissertation]; 2020.

[11] Bhuiyan SH. A crisis in governance: Urban solid waste management in Bangladesh. Habitat Int. 2010; 34(1):125-133. doi: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2009.08.002

[12] Bhuiyan SH. Public-private partnerships in Bangladesh’s waste management. Habitat Int. 2010; 34(1):15-23.

[13] Brown C, Milke M. Recycling disaster waste: Feasibility, method and effectiveness. Resour Conserv Recycl. 2016; 106:21-32. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.10.021

[14] Calo F, Parise M. Waste management and problems of groundwater pollution in karst environments in the context of a post-conflict scenario: The case of Mostar (Bosnia Herzegovina). Habitat Int. 2009; 33(1):63-72.

[15] Chauhan G, Sevda S. Solid Waste Management. 1st ed., Vol. 5. United States: CRC Press; 2024. p. 1.

[16] Dudar T, Yavorovska O, Cirella GT, et al. Enhancing urban solid waste management through an integrated geographic information system and multicriteria decision analysis:A case study in postwar reconstruction. In: Handbook on Post-War Reconstruction and Development Economics of Ukraine: Catalyzing Progress. Cham: Springer; 2024. p. 377-392.

[17] Ellakkisa M, Nayeria MD, Ghataria AR. From conflict to cooperation: A multi-methodological approach to managing the solid waste crisis in Lebanon. J Syst Think Pract. 2024; 3(1):1-22. doi: 10.22067/jstinp.2024.86430.1091

[18] Elmessoussi L. Municipal waste management in post-conflict Misrata. Environ Manag J. 2020; 25(3):210-217.

[19] Farah J, Ghaddar R, Nasr E, Nasr R, Wehbe H, Verdeil É. Solid Waste Management in Lebanon: Lessons for Decentralisation. Democracy Reporting International [Dissertation]; 2020.

[20] Guerrero LA, Maas G, Hogland W. Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries. Waste Manag. 2013; 33(1):220-232. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.09.008

[21] Hanoshenko O, Halaktionov M, Huber-Humer M. Exploratory study on the impact of military actions on the environment and infrastructure in the current Ukraine war with a specific focus on waste management. Waste Manag Res. 2024; 42(1):1-15 doi: 10.1177/0734242X241305909

[22] Harb M. Lebanon’s waste crisis: Beyond garbage politics. Middle East Rep. 2016; 281:34-39.

[23] Hirpe L, Yeom C. Municipal solid waste management policies, practices, and challenges in Ethiopia: A systematic review. Sustainability. 2021; 13(20):11241. doi: 10.3390/su132011241

[24] Imam A, Mohammed B, Wilson DC, Cheeseman CR.Solid waste management in Abuja, Nigeria. Waste Manag. 2008; 28(2):468-472. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2007.01.006

[25] Khalaf-Kairouz L.Post wars solid waste. Waste Manag. 2017; 68:1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.09.006

[26] Kothari CR.Sample size determination. In: Research Methodology. 1st ed. New Delhi: New Age International; 2004. p. 74-1.

[27] Maity SK. Importance of municipal solid waste management. Int J Adv Eng Res Sci. 2018; 5(5):361-363. doi: 10.22161/ijaers.5.5.49

[28] Marshall RE, Farahbakhsh K. Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries. Waste Manag. 2013; 33(4):988-1003. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.12.023

[29] Massoud MA, El-Fadel M. Public-private partnerships for solid waste management services. Environ Manag. 2002; 30:621-630. doi: 10.1007/s00267-002-2715-6

[30] Nanda S, Berruti F. Municipal solid waste management and landfilling technologies: A review. Environ Chem Lett. 2021; 19(2):1433-1456. doi: 10.1007/s10311-020-01100-y

[31] Noaman AS, Alsaffar AE. A suggestion of a procedural method for the management of post-war waste. Civ Eng J. 2019; 5(10):2143-2151. doi: 10.28991/cej-2019-03091400

[32] Noufal M, Maalla Z, Adipah S. Households’ participation in solid waste management system of Homs city, Syria. GeoJournal. 2021; 86(3):1441-1463. doi: 10.1007/s10708-020-10139-x

[33] Oladipo O. Challenges in solid waste management in Nigeria’s capital. Afr Cities Rev. 2021; 9(1):63-78.

[34] Poon CS. Management of construction and demolition waste. Waste Manag. 2007; 27(2):159-160. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2006.10.012

[35] Post J, Baud I. Between markets and partnerships: Urban solid waste management and contributions to sustainable development. Glob Built Environ Rev. 2003; 3(1):46-65.

[36] Post J. Evolving partnerships in the collection of urban solid waste in the developing world. In: Solid Waste Management and Recycling: Actors, Partnerships and Policies in Hyderabad, India and Nairobi, Kenya. Dordrecht: Springer; 2004. p. 21-36.

[37] Purwa AK. Questionnaire survey of solid waste management for South Delhi Municipal Corporation area, India. Int J Creat Res Thoughts. 2018; 6(2):173-181.

[38] Purwar AK. Cost studies on box type community compost plant for South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), New Delhi. Int J Eng Sci Res. 2012; 4(2):533-545.

[39] Reno J. Waste and waste management. Annu Rev Anthropol. 2015; 44(1):557-572. doi: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102214-014146

[40] Sakai S, Sawell SE, Chandler AJ, et al. World trends in municipal solid waste management. Waste Manag. 1996; 16(5-6):341-350.doi: 10.1016/S0956-053X(96)00106-7

[41] Shekdar AV. Sustainable solid waste management: An integrated approach for Asian countries. Waste Manag. 2009; 29(4):1438-1448. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2008.08.025

[42] Tadesse A, Wolde G. Demographic influences on waste perception in Ethiopian urban centers. Urban Environ Health. 2021; 6(2):110-119.

[43] Teshome FB. Municipal solid waste management in Ethiopia; the gaps and ways for improvement. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag. 2021; 23:18-31. doi: 10.1007/s10163-020-01118-y

[44] Tigray Statistics Agency. Annual Statistical Abstract 2010 E.C (2017/2018). Mekelle: Tigray Statistics Agency; 2018.

[45] Tukahirwa J. Citizen engagement in Nairobi’s waste management sector. Waste Soc. 2010; 12(3):231-245.

[46] Tukahirwa JT, Mol AP, Oosterveer P. Civil society participation in urban sanitation and solid waste management in Uganda. Local Environ. 2010; 15(1): 1-14.

[47] UN-Habitat. Kabul Urban Profile: Waste Infrastructure in Crisis. Kenya: UN-Habitat; 2017.

[48] United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Developing Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan: Training Manual for Assessment of Current Waste Management System and Gaps Therein. Vol 2. Osaka/ Shiga, Japan; 2009. Available from: https://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/publications [Last accessed on 2024 Jun 10].

[49] Zurbrugg C, Gfrerer M, Ashadi H, Brenner W, Kühr R. Determinants of sustainability in solid waste management - The Gianyar Waste Recovery Project in Indonesia. Waste Manag. 2012; 32(11):2126-2133. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2012.03.014

[50] Simiyu S. Preference for and characteristics of an appropriate sanitation technology for the slums of Kisumu, Kenya. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development. 2017 Sep 2; 9( 3):301-312.