IN mid-September this year, African environment ministers met in Senegal where they made one of the most important decisions in the history of waste management in Africa.
The ministers laid the foundation to end open dumping and burning of waste, the decision which, if put into action, will have multiple economic, environmental and social implications.
Experts say it could save millions of lives on the continent. According to records published in the Conversation Africa, one hundred and eighty million tonnes of waste, about 9 per cent of the global total, was generated in sub-Saharan Africa in 2016 of which only about 11 per cent was disposed of in properly designed and managed landfills. More than 60 per cent went to open dumpsites.
It is stated that in many African cities, up to 90 per cent of waste is dumped in the open spaces. Much of it is burned, sending plumes of noxious pollutants into homes, lungs and the environment.
Health experts say burning of waste causes emissions that include dioxins, hydrocarbons and black carbon, all highly toxic climate pollutants.
Decomposing organic waste also generates methane, which triggers open burning and is a major contributor to climate change. Information published in media say exposure to air pollution causes more than 1.2 million premature African deaths annually.
Studies of children living near major dumpsites have reported chronic respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological illnesses.
Burning waste adds to air pollution which poses health risk as it generates poisonous compounds.
The pollution affects children and people with asthma, bronchitis or heart conditions. Furthermore, it reduces visibility in the area and on roads.
Tanzania, one of the African countries, faces challenges surrounding waste management and very unfortunately burning, which is one of the oldest methods of waste disposal, has continued to be practiced by many households, especially in urban areas.
For instance, Dar es Salaam city is estimated to generate 4,600 tonnes of waste per day, and it is projected to be generating over 12,000 tonnes per day by 2025, meaning that proper strategies must be put in place to address the problem.
Despite recycling being seen as the only best solution of waste management, only about 11 per cent of it is currently recycled, mostly by the informal sector.
Experts say up to 80 per cent of solid waste generated in African cities is recyclable, indicating a major opportunity to create jobs and livelihoods from the reuse of waste.
However, they say lack of public awareness, weak legislation and enforcement, insufficient budgets for waste collection and disposal, inadequate and malfunctioning equipment, lack of public participation and inadequate waste management governance hamper waste management goals to be realised.
We fully understand that the Tanzania government is doing its best in this area but we feel more efforts must be made to address the problem.
