Solid Waste Management in Hawassa City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has emerged as one of the greatest challenges of improvement in Ethiopia. This study is conducted in Hawassa City, one of the fastest urbanizing cities in Ethiopia, to assess the existing solid waste management (SWM) practices and challenges observed in the city. The study relies on a case study research design. Sufficient data was gathered through rigorous interviews and field observations. It was also supported by quantitative data gathered from published and unpublished documents. The findings of the study revealed that the current SWM practices of Hawassa City are ineffective and inefficient. The major factors that contributed to the existing ineffective and inefficient SWM system in the City are insufficient collection coverage, improper storage, transportation and disposal, limited budget allocation, absence of standards for licensing private service providers, weak capacity of the municipality to enforce by-laws and create awareness to the community.