Study of solid waste management for environmental improvement of Dhaka city

Abstract

Solid waste management has become a matter of major global concern as evident from the conclusions given by the Colloquium of Mayors held at the United Nations in New York in August, 1994, which was attended by 135 Mayors from different countries of the world, including Bangladesh. There, they identified twelve most severe urban problems - insufficient solid waste management ranked third, preceded by inadequate housing while unemployment topped the list. The population of Dhaka city has been increasing rapidly. During the period 1981-91, the population of DCC area increased from 2.20 to 3.583 million, representing a rise of 62.86 . percent. Rapid growth in population is, obviously, creating quick rise in generation of solid waste of the city. Waste generation during 1985-91 period has increased at an average annual rate of 4.33 percent per capita per year, while the capability of DCC's solid waste management and its hygienic disposal is miserably lagging behind. More than half of the city's daily generated solid waste remains uncollected and are disposed oflocally, making the environmental scenario of the metropolis quite gloomy and dismal for the future. Realising the gravity of the situation, this study has been undertaken with the expectation that it would help prepare a sound and effective action plan for solid waste management. In other words, this study aims at environmental improvement of the capital city. This study finds that there is an urgent need and scope to improve solid waste management system of Dhaka city and recommends both macro and micro-level measures to improve it for eventual betterment of the environment. At macro-level, the National Government can play the role of a 'facilitator' to improve overall management system; while at the micro-level, DCC can improve their institutional, financial and technical capabilities and can take the help of CBOs and NGOs to improve the present waste disposal condition of different residential areas of the city. At the same time, DCC at micro-level can give some of its responsibility to CBOs to handle solid waste collection. This study, however, highlights the conclusions that improvement of waste disposal situation of the city can be achieved through joint involvement of the community, NGOs and DCC. Looking from environmental and sustainable development viewpoints, this study underl ines the necessity of recycling of organic waste which forms the major portion of the solid waste of the city for the sake of waste volume reduction and environmental protection.