Assessing the Challenges Affecting Solid Waste Management System in the Kumasi Metropolis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v3i2.323Keywords:
Waste, Solid Waste, Solid Waste Management, Kumasi Metropolis, Waste Generation, challenges of solid waste managementAbstract
ABSTRACTIn every aspect of human life, several unwanted materials are generated and these materials are discarded simply because they are considered waste. Waste is a serious problem in developing countries where generation of waste per unit of output is much higher than that in the developed countries because of inefficiency in manufacturing processes, bad design, and ultimately, bad decision-making. The purposes of this paper were to identify the challenges facing solid waste management in Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and its effects on solid waste management practices. This research is both exploratory and causal. Out of a total population of 350 a sample size of 200 was used. Self-Administered Questionnaire instrument was used to collection data for the study. Quantitative data analysis technique (such as mean, percentages, frequencies and standard deviation) and qualitative data analysis technique (such as content analysis) were used to analyse the collected data. It was found out that, all the challenges facing solid waste management practices only institutional arrangement and adequate solid waste management laws were found not to be major challenges. The rest are all major challenges facing solid waste management practices in the KMA. On the effects, seemingly, the effect of the challenges to waste management practices leads to inefficiency in the solid waste management practices. The correlation coefficient between them is 0.51 and correlation of determination is 0.26 0r 26% meaning the higher the challenges, the higher the inefficiency in the waste management system. However, this relationship seems moderate since 74% of the inefficiencies are accounted for by other factors than those identified in this study. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that, the management must put measures in place to overcome the challenges facing solid waste management practices.
References
Abagale, K. F., Mensah, A., and Osei, A. R. (2012), “Urban Solid Waste Sorting in a Growing City of Ghana”, International Journal of Environment and Sustainability”, Vol.1, No. 4, Pp 18-25, available online at www.sciencetarget.com, accessed on 3rd January 2013.
Achankeng, E. (2003), “Globalisation, Urbanisation and Municipal Solid Waste Management in Africa”, Africa on a Global Stage, A Paper Presented at the Annual Conference of the African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific.
Anonymous, (undated), Solid waste management: an introduction”, A Pdf document.
Asase,M., Yanful, E. K, Mensah, M, Standford, J., and Amponsah, S. (2009), “Comparison of Municipal solid waste management systems in Canada and Ghana: A case study of the cities of London, Ontario, and Kumasi, Ghana”, Waste Management Journal, Vol. 29 (2009), Pp 2779–2786, www.elsevier.com/locate/wasman , accessed on 3rd January 2013.
Baabereyir, A. (2009), “Urban Environmental Problems in Ghana: A case study of social environmental injustice in solid waste management in Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi”, Doctorate of Philosophy Thesis, University of Nottingham.
Gbekor, A. (2003), “Domestic Waste Management”, Ghana Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) Newsletter, Vol. 47 No. 5.Ghana EPA, Accra.
Ghana districts website (2013), “Kumasi Metropolitan”, available at www.ghanadistricts.com, accessed on 8th January 2013.
Gilpin, A. (1996), “Dictionary of Environment and Development”, John Wiley and Sons, Chester and New York,
Kironde, J.M.L., (1999), “Dar es Salaam, Tanzania”, (cited in Onibokun, A.G. (Ed). Managing the Monster”, Urban Waste and Governance in Africa, Ottawa, IDRC, Pp. 101-172.
Kofoworola, O. F. (2007), “Recovery and recycling practices in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria”, Waste Management Journal, Vol. 27, No. 9, Pp 1139-1143.
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly website (2013), www.kma.gov.gh, accessed on 8th January, 2013
Labspace website, (2013), “labspace, Hygiene and Environmental Health HEAT Module”, available on line at: http://labspace.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id= 453833§ion=1.4.4, accessed on 6st January 2013.
Linden, O., Gomez E.D., and Ngoilie, M.A.K. (1997), “Common Constraints to Waste Management Programs on the East Asian Seas Region: Top Ten Constraints”, GEF/UNDP/IMO Regional Programme 1997, National profiles for Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Accessed at: http://www.pemsea.org/pdfdocuments/ regional profiles-from-tropical-coasts-back-cover/tc-obc-vol5-6-no2- 1.pdf.accessed on 31st December 2012
McDougall, F.R., and Hruska, J.P., (2000), “The use of life cycle inventory tools to support an integrated approach to solid waste management”, Waste Management and Research Journal, vol. 18, Pp 590–594.
McDougall, F., White, P., Franke, M., Hindle, P., (2001), “Integrated Waste Management: A Life Cycle Inventory”, 2nd ed. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Namilyango College, (2001), “Background of Domestic Waste Management in
Kampala”, Accessed online at: http://www.angelfire.com/nc/namicol/backgd1.html, Accessed on 2nd January 2013.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A., (2007), “Research Methods for Business students”, 4thEdn, Essex England, Pearson Education Limited.
Stanford, J., (2000), “Summary Report on Solid Waste Management: Feedback; Londoner’s Efforts Contribute to Improvements in the Environment”, available on line at , (accessed on 2.01.2013).
Steblin, P.W., and Stanford, J., (2008), “Solid waste management in Ontario, Canada: problems and opportunitie”,. Presented at 2008 American Public Works Association International Public Works Congress and Exposition, August 17–20.
Tadesse, T. (2004), “Solid waste Management”, Lecture Notes for Environmental and Occupational Health Students, Ethiopia Public Health Initiative, Pp 1-199.
Tsiboe, A. I., and Marbel, E. (2004), “A look at Urban Waste Disposal Problem in Accra, Ghana”, Masters Thesis, Roskilde University.
United Nations Population Fund (2001), “The State of World Population 2001, Phoenix-Trykkeriet AS, Denmark”, UNFPA.
United States. EPA, (2008), “Hazardous Waste Listings”, A User-Friendly Reference Document.Draft March 2008,Pp 1-10 Available on: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/listingref.Pdf, Accessed on 3rd January 2013
Vergara, S. E., and Tchobanoglous, G. (2012), "Municipal Solid Waste and the Environment: A Global Perspective". Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Vol. 37, Pp 277
Wetherell, I. (2003): “Rubbish piling up”, Zimbabwe Independent (Harare), March 28th, 2003, Pp 1, Available on line on Allafrica.com/stories/, accessed on 3rd January 2013
Wikipedia, (2013), “Waste”, available on line on en.wikipedia.org, accessed on 5th January 2013.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
