Community based solid waste management strategies for Kamanga compound in Lusaka

Abstract

The problems associated with solid waste management are global and require an integrated approach to arrive at a possible long term solution. Lusaka produces more waste than any other city in the country. This study focused on community based solid waste management strategies in Kamanga Compound of Lusaka. The objectives of the study were to: (i) identify solid waste management strategies; (ii) identify actors involved in solid waste management ;( iii) assess current status; (iv) and effectiveness of the adopted strategies. The study also examined sources of funding and funding mechanisms of the strategies. An examination of the legal and institutional frameworks supporting the adopted strategies was also done to asses their effectiveness in waste management.Investigations into the problem of solid waste management in Kamanga involved the administering of questionnaires and interview schedules to the residents of Kamanga and key stakeholders respectively. A field survey was also undertaken in Kamanga Compound. The study revealed that there was no uniform strategy for the residents of Kamanga at the household level. Each household adopted a strategy that suited it most.The most common strategy was temporal storage of waste for later collection by the community based enterprise Samarila Ukhondo. The waste generated was more of a mixture of organic and inorganic matter. in Actors involved were the residents themselves, Samarila Ukhondo a community based enterprise, the Market Business Association, the Lusaka City Council and the Environmental Council of Zambia.Despite various strategies adopted, waste still accumulated in the compound. The Lusaka City Council failed to remove waste from the communal dumpsites to the final disposal site. However, the Market Business Association effectively removed waste from the market and the surrounding areas. The major sources of funding for the strategies at household level were the residents themselves while at community level it was the government through the Lusaka City Council and donors like the Danish government. At household level, not all residents were able to pay waste collection user fees.The legal and institutional frameworks in place are adequate to deal with waste management problems. What lacks is the capacity of the Lusaka City Council to enforce the laws.Therefore, it is concluded that the waste management strategies adopted at household level were effective in removing waste in Kamanga, while at community level, they were not. This is because the Lusaka City Council did not perform its assigned roles. Until all actors perform their roles effectively, the problems of solid waste management in Kamanga Compound will remain unresolved for a long time to come.