Physical Characterisation and Analysis of the Perception of Potential Risks Associated with the Proliferation of Solid Waste along the Lomé Coastline in Togo

Abstract

The coastal zone is constantly under pressure from human activities. One of these pressures is the concentration of solid waste that has escaped from the sanitation system in place. The Togolese coastline, mainly the segment from Aflao to Kpogan, is overrun by waste from households and various socioeconomic activities and is faced with the challenges of unregulated solid waste management. This situation is contributing to the degradation of the urban landscape and is giving rise to environmental and health risks. The aim of this study is to carry out a physical characterisation and analyse the perception of the potential environmental and health risks involved. The methodology included documentary research, site mapping, physical characterisation of waste using the MODECOM approach, principal component analysis and a survey of 300 households in our study area. The results show the poor waste management that prevails along the Lomé coastline, with the anarchic proliferation of waste dumps: 13 categories of waste including a predominance of flexible plastic waste out of a total of 510 kg collected. The results show that the environment is deteriorating, with unsightly, unpleasant smells and the presence of pests. These environmental risks expose the population to diseases such as malaria, lung infection, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and skin diseases.