Domestic Solid Waste Management in Mekelle City: Tigray Region
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Date
2002-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examines the overall pattern of solid waste generation, collection and disposed
in Mekelle city by analyzing primary as well as secondary data. The findings show that about
39792.9Kg of solid waste in a day and 1424408.5kg in a year were generated in Mekelle in 2001.
The largest proportion, over 75%, of the solid waste was of residentional origin, i.e. domestic
solid waste, which predominantly consists organic items such as ash and garbage. In general the
amount of solid waste generated was found to be a function of household income, where the
lower, the middle and the higher income groups generate 0.277 kg,, 0.301 kg and 0.412 kg per
capita per day respectively.
In the year 2001 the solid waste collection and disposal service coverage by the Health
Office of Mekelle was only 39.38%. The main factors behind the poor performance include
improper organizational structure, shortage and dissatisfaction of the workers, inadequacy and
inappropriateness of the collection and transportation facilities (both the containers and
vehicles), unfair distribution and sitting (placement) of the containers, and inadequate financial
resources. Moreover, there were no detailed rules and regulations, ordinance and public
education concerning solid waste management. The site selected for solid waste disposal, the
disposal technique and the solid waste collecting and transporting techniques used were also part
of the main constraints of the solid waste management in the city of Mekelle.
The findings also indicate that certain social-cultural factors have aggravated the problem
of solid waste management in Mekelle. The leading factors in this regard include improper
handling of solid wastes at home, improper transfer of solid waste into the container and the
illegal disposal of solid waste anywhere in the city.
The findings of the survey, in general, suggest that the Mekelle City Administration,
particularly its Health Office, take the necessary measures in order to improve the City's solid waste management service. Moreover, the Health Office has to make efforts to achieve a meaningful level of community participation in its endeavors to create a clean and healthy urban environment
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Geography and Environmental Studies