Towards safe waste disposal sites: Examining the siting processes and social - environmental impacts of dumpsites in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania

Historically, landfills have been the dominant alternative for final disposal of municipal solid waste. The method has been regarded as the most economically and environmentally acceptable option for solid waste disposal in both developed and developing countries. However, rapid urbanisation coupled with uncontrolled urban expansion for the countries in the south, presents a tremendous challenge to urban managers and planners to contain an enormous increase of solid waste generated within the urban setting given limited available land. The increasing awareness on the adverse impacts that are caused by unsanitary landfills has raised the quest for urban authorities to ensure that waste disposal facilities are sited in areas, which are environmentally and socially acceptable and yet cost effective. This has become an increasing concern of various stakeholders in the waste management system on one hand and the general public on the other. Dar es Salaam, like any other cities in the developing world, has been adopting open dumping as the main waste disposal option. Despite the implementation of the Sustainable Dar es Salaam Project for which solid waste management has been the major theme, unsanitary waste disposal practices is predominant. Most of the dumpsites have been sited in areas that are in proximity to human settlements and water bodies, which is environmentally and socially not acceptable. The study therefore aimed at examining how solid waste disposal facilities are sited in the city with special attention on the processes and procedures followed and environmental and social-economic criteria adopted on one hand and the assessment of levels of public awareness, perceptions and attitudes on problems that are manifested due to unsanitary waste disposal practices, on the other. A case studies survey has been employed to draw information from a broad range of institutions consisting national and local government authorities. Included here are the Vice president's Office _Environment, Ministry of Lands, National Environmental Management Council, Urban Authorities Support Unit, Sustainable Dar es Salaam Project, the Dar es Salaam City Council, Ilala, Kinondoni and Temeke municipalities, and Non Governmental Organisations. A household survey was also carried out in two settlements where dumpsites are located. The main finding from the study shows that, despite the presence of policies and legislations guiding sanitary waste disposal practices, most of the dumpsites in Dar es Salaam city are sited without compliancy to physical, socio-economic and environmental criteria, coupled with minimum public and stakeholders' participation in the siting process. It is also realised that a significant percentage of the local residents living close to dumpsites do not know about various long term adverse impacts caused by unsanitary landfills. 32.4% of the sample population ranked bad odour as the most serious impacts of dumpsites within their living environment followed by health hazards 29.7%. This study recommends that, NEMC in collaboration with local government authorities should set technical guidelines and specifications to be used as minimum requirements for the siting, development and operation of landfills, and enforce the compliancy in respect of the local government authorities whenever a new landfill is required. Nevertheless, the central government and NGOs should introduce a continuous awareness and sensitization campaign to educate local communities on impacts that are caused by unsanitary landfills on their health and wellbeing.