Multi-Criteria Selection of Waste-to-Energy Technologies for Slum/Informal Settlements Using the PROMETHEE Technique: A Case Study of the Greater Karu Urban Area in Nigeria

Abstract

Slum/informal settlements are an integral part of a city, with a population projected to reach 3 billion by 2030. It is also expected that the rate of waste generation will more than triple by 2050 in the cities of low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa. At this rate, the risk to the environment and health of inhabitants are enormous, because the current waste management practices are not guided by legislation on proper use and disposal. This paper proposes the conversion of waste to energy as a solution to this problem. The aim of this study is to apply the PROMETHEE technique with a combination weighting method to obtain the most appropriate waste-to-energy technology for the slum/informal settlements of the Greater Karu Urban area in Nigeria. The findings reveal that the gasification technology outperformed the other technologies, and the affordability of electricity supply from this technology was determined by a general survey conducted on the slum/informal settlements.