Solid Waste Management System in the Kanifing Municipal Council's Area, the Gambia

Pollution by solid waste and its management is an endemic problem that the Government of the Gambia through its municipalities has tried to address over the years but do not seem to bring it under control. Inadequate municipal solid waste management is certainly one of the major contributing factors to the degrading of environment quality. This study was done at Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), one of the densely populated and rapidly growing urban settlements in The Gambia. The study is meant to determine the ramifications of poor solid waste management, the impact of these on the communities, the problem associated with waste management at KMC and the applicability of integrated solid waste management system (ISWM) in the stated Municipality. A total of 410 questionnaires were distributed and these were administered to households within Kanifing Municipality using systematic random sampling. These were supplemented by personal interviews with the municipal council authorities, and other key stakeholders. The data was analyzed by a non-parametric statistical test such as chi square cross tabulation calculation. The study found that the residents of the area interviewed were reasonably aware of the importance of proper solid waste management in relation to health of the inhabitants, aesthetic value and tourism which needs to be enhanced. Significant challenges were discovered that need to be addressed in future and this include inter alia: low environmental awareness on waste reduction, separation and recycling techniques were discovered as well as; improper enforcement of waste related legislations, inadequate infrastructure, funding and expertise all of which are important when dealing directly with waste management. In general, the study shows that there are high prospects of addressing solid waste management issues in the Kanifing Municipality; however, more efforts are absolutely necessary by both the Municipal Authorities and the Central Government of the Gambia in achieving the set objectives of a clean and beautiful municipality. Key words: Solid waste management system, Pollution, Solid waste,degrading urban environment, Kanifing Municipal counci

Assessment of municipal solid waste composition in Malaysia: management, practice, and challenges.

Malaysia is faced with daunting challenges related to solid waste management. Due to an increase in population, economic growth, inadequate enforcement of waste legislation, infrastructure, and public attitude among others, solid waste management is considered a crucial issue in Malaysia, particularly in urban settings. This paper gives an overview of solid waste management in Malaysian with the aim of presenting the state of waste generation, composition, management practices, and problems with regards to environmental, economic, and other ramifications from previous records. In general, the total waste generated in Malaysia is estimated to be 7 million tons in 2000, with an annual increase of 3%. This is due to many factors such as urban migration, affluence, and rapid development. This circumstance requires greater focus to be in placed on managing solid waste and mitigating the negative public and environmental effects. Presently, management of solid waste is carried out by the Ministry of Housing and local government, with the support of the private sector. This new holistic approach initiated addressing the solid waste issue, taking into account public health and environmental concerns with an emphasis on reduction, reuse, and recycling before reaching final stage – disposal at landfill, and this to certain extent has a greater potential in addressing SWM problems in Malaysia

Composition and generation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Malaysia: Balakong City case study

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is one of the most challenging issues faced by most developing countries. Knowledge of solid waste generation and composition is necessary for accurate decision-making in terms of engineering design, planning and forecasting for the management strategy of urban waste. The objective of this study was to determine MSW generation and composition in an urban area of Balakong City, Selangor, Malaysia. The application of a linear model on solid waste forecasting was also performed in this study. A survey of household residents in eight housing areas in Balakong was carried out for one month from January to February 2011. Data were collected on a daily basis. In total, organic waste was the highest composition (5,344 kg, 68.6%) among the solid waste generated in all eight housing areas. Plastic and paper comprised of 10.4% (811 kg) and 9.5% (736 kg) of the solid waste generated. The least composition was glass (270 kg, 3.5%) and metals (204 kg, 2.5%). Other type of disposables comprised of 5.5% (419 kg) of the total solid waste generated. A linear model on solid waste forecasting has determined slightly higher prediction on solid waste generation with a statistically significant difference was obtained at p < 0.05

A socio-ecological assessment aiming at improved forest resource management and sustainable ecotourism development in the mangroves of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia, West Africa

Although mangroves dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle are extending over 6000 ha in the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) (The Gambia), their importance for local populations (both periurban and urban) is not well documented. For the first time, this study evaluates the different mangrove resources in and around Banjul (i.e. timber, non-timber, edible, and ethnomedicinal products) and their utilization patterns, including the possibility of ecotourism development. The questionnaire-based results have indicated that more than 80% of peri-urban population rely on mangroves for timber and non-timber products and consider them as very important for their livelihoods. However, at the same time, urban households demonstrate limited knowledge on mangrove species and their ecological/economic benefits. Among others, fishing (including the oyster-Crassostrea cf. gasar collection) and tourism are the major incomegenerating activities found in the TWNP. The age-old practices of agriculture in some parts of the TWNP are due to scarcity of land available for agriculture, increased family size, and alternative sources of income. The recent focus on ecotourism (i.e. boardwalk construction inside the mangroves near Banjul city) received a positive response from the local stakeholders (i.e. users, government, and non-government organizations), with their appropriate roles in sharing the revenue, rights, and responsibilities of this project. Though the guidelines for conservation and management of the TWNP seem to be compatible, the harmony between local people and sustainable resource utilization should be ascertained. copyright; Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2012.(IF52011 = 3.101; IF2011 = 2.025; CHL = 9.3).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe