MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Geography, Environmental Sustainability and
Resilience Building
TITLE:
THE NEXUS OF URBAN WASTE CLIMATE CHANGE
MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION MEASURES: THE CASE OF
CITY OF HARARE (2021 TO 2022)
STUDENT NAME:
TERENCE DURI
STUDENT NUMBER:
R0330072
COURSE NAME:
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
COURSE CODE:
SUPERVISOR:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
JULY 2021
CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
USE HEADING 1 FROM THE SELECTION ABOVE FOR YOUR MAIN HEADING. USE ALL CAPS, DO NOT
USE ANYTHING ELSE AS THE TABLE OF CONTENTS HAS BEEN AUTOMATED TO USE THIS SETTING
.................................................................................................................. ОШИБКА! ЗАКЛАДКА НЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНА.
SUB HEADING ................................................................................................. ОШИБКА! ЗАКЛАДКА НЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНА.
Sub-Sub-Heading ..............................................................................................Ошибка! Закладка не определена.
PROBLEM STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 4
OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................... ОШИБКА! ЗАКЛАДКА НЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНА.
RESEARCH QUESTION/HYPOTHESIS ................................................................ ОШИБКА! ЗАКЛАДКА НЕ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНА.
OBJECTIVES AND AIMS .............................................................................................................................................. 8
OVERALL OBJECTIVE ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
SPECIFIC AIMS ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................................................................................... 9
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ..................................................................................................................... 10
OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................................... 10
POPULATION AND STUDY SAMPLE ................................................................................................................................ 10
SAMPLE SIZE AND SELECTION OF SAMPLE .................................................................................................................... 10
SOURCES OF DATA ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
COLLECTION OF DATA .................................................................................................................................................. 10
EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 10
DATA MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 10
DATA ANALYSIS STRATEGIES ....................................................................................................................................... 10
ETHICS AND HUMAN SUBJECTS ISSUES ......................................................................................................................... 10
TIMEFRAMES ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE STUDY.............................................................................................. 11
PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE ........................................................................................................................... 12
BUDGET AND MOTIVATION .................................................................................................................................... 13
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................... 14
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE....................................................................................................................................... 15
APPENDIX 2: PATIENT LIST ........................................................................................................................................... 16
2
ABSTRACT
Background
Methods
Results
Discussion and Conclusion
Do not use abbreviations or insert tables, figures or references into your abstract. You abstract
generally should not exceed about 300 words.
3
INTRODUCTION
Climate change is a pertinent issue on the global agenda and Zimbabwe is cannot be detached from
this. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change implemented the Kyoto Protocol
which is an international treaty that commits ratified state parties to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions with the assumption that global warming exists and that manmade carbon dioxide carbon
emissions have caused it. The Paris Agreement is a landmark international accord that was adopted
by nearly every nation in 2015 to address climate change and its negative impacts. The agreement
aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit the global
temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, while pursuing
the means to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. The agreement includes commitments from all major
emitting countries to cut their climate pollution and to strengthen those commitments over time. The
pact provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation
and adaptation efforts, and it creates a framework for the transparent monitoring, reporting, and
ratcheting up of countries’ individual and collective climate goals (Denchak, 2021).
Climate change is a change in the pattern of weather, and related changes in oceans, land surfaces
and ice sheets, occurring over time scales of decades or longer (Australian Academy of Science, 2021).
Climate change is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes
in the usual climate of the planet (regarding temperature, precipitation, and wind) that are especially
caused by human activities (Youmatter, 2021). Climate change is one of the greatest foes facing
humanity today. Climate change is defined as the shift in climate patterns mainly caused by
greenhouse gas emissions from natural systems and human activities. So far, anthropogenic
activities have caused about 1.0 °C of global warming above the pre-industrial level and this is likely
to reach 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2052 if the current emission rates persist (Samer Fawzy, 2020).
The waste management sector is in a unique position to move from being a comparatively minor
source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions1 to becoming a major contributor to reducing
GHG emissions. Although minor levels of emissions are released through waste treatment and
disposal, the prevention and recovery of wastes (i.e. as secondary materials or energy) avoids
emissions in other sectors of the economy. A holistic approach to waste management has positive
consequences for GHG emissions from the energy, agriculture, transport, and manufacturing
sectors. A recent report by the US EPA estimates that 42% of total GHG emissions in the US are
associated with the management of materials (UNEP, 2010).
4
The interest of the global community on measures to reduce emissions and stay within the 1.5degree target has surged considerably and as the world approaches 2030, taking steps to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals is becoming increasingly urgent. There has also been an
increasing recognition that addressing the climate crisis requires the contribution of every country,
sector, and individual (UNhabitat, 2021). One area that requires more attention is the management
of solid waste. Waste generation globally is high and growing every day and expected to reach a
peak only by year 2100. Solid waste is a large contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
through unregulated dumping of waste (UNhabitat, 2021).
Some estimates suggest that 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalents will come from waste in 2050,
with methane from decomposing organic waste as the largest GHG contributor from the waste
sector, and open dumpsites will be responsible for up to 5-10 per cent of the global anthropogenic
GHG by 2025 under a business as usual scenario (UNhabitat, 2021). The role of urban areas in
contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation, global sustainable development goals (SDG) and
the New Urban Agenda (NUA) is undisputed (Sethi, 2020).
Mismanaged waste contributes to a wide array of negative impacts, such as global emissions and
climate change. However, if waste is properly managed it can contribute to a clean environment,
reduced GHG emissions, and wealth generation through a circular economy approach. The organic
waste fraction is also one that would provide great benefits if properly managed. It is in general the
largest fraction of waste in any country, being larger in low-income countries, and has a large impact
on GHG emissions (UNhabitat, 2021).
Carbon dioxide is a waste product; dumping it into the open air is a form of littering. Dumping can be
avoided or cleaned up with technological fixes to our current infrastructure. These fixes do not require
drastic reductions in energy use, changes in lifestyle, or transformations in energy technologies
(Leckiner, 2017).
Waste contains organic material, such as food, paper, wood, and garden trimmings. Once waste is
deposited in a landfill, microbes begin to consume the carbon in organic material, which causes
decomposition. Under the anaerobic conditions prevalent in landfills, the microbial communities
contain methane-producing bacteria. As the microbes gradually decompose organic matter over
time, methane (approximately 50%), carbon dioxide (approximately 50%), Treatment process
Material recovery Landfill GHG emissions GHG emissions Energy – GHG Energy - GHG offsets
GHG emissions Energy – GHG GHG emissions 9 and other trace amounts of gaseous compounds
(< 1%) are generated and form landfill gas (UNEP, 2010).
5
Methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) are greenhouse gases (GHG), whose presence in the
atmosphere contribute to global warming and climate change. Methane is a particularly potent GHG,
and is currently considered to have a global warming potential (GWP) 25 times that of CO2 when a
time horizon of 100 years is considered (UNEP, 2010).
Southern Africa emitted 1,027 million metric tons (MtCO2e) in 2011, with South Africa, Angola and
Zambia having the highest total of greenhouse gas emissions (USAID, 2015).
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process and in
order to attain the Sustainable Development Goals, the Government of Zimbabwe is committed to
protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations (GOVZIM, 2016).
The actual magnitude of these emissions is difficult to determine because of poor data on worldwide
waste generation, composition and management and inaccuracies in emissions models. Although
currently OECD countries generate the highest levels of methane, those of developing nations are
anticipated to increase significantly as better waste management practices lead to more anaerobic,
methane producing conditions in landfills (UNEP, 2010). The international literature on linkages
between waste and climate change is largely focussed on MSW in developed countries, and there
is limited reference or comparison to the impact of other waste streams or waste management in
developing nations (UNEP, 2010). This research therefore seeks to bridge this gap by exploring the
nexus of urban waste climate change and mitigation measure for the City of Harare.
In non-OECD regions, as countries progress towards achieving a higher standard of living, waste
generation per capita and overall national waste production is set to increase accordingly if current
production/consumption patterns persist. Although average annual per capita waste generation in
developing nations is estimated at 10-20% that of developed nations, this figure is constantly rising
in response to economic growth. Globally, waste generation is increasing (UNEP, 2010). it is
extremely difficult to gauge the accuracy of current estimates of the climate impact of waste activities,
either at a national or global scale, due to data limitations. Results of projections of GHG emissions
from waste are highly dependent on the assumed rates of waste generation. the magnitude of the
climate impact from waste management is largely guesswork – essential information regarding waste
generation and management is simply not available in many cases, from both developed and
developing regions. Even more important is the lack of waste sector information that would allow a
more accurate assessment of the opportunities. In the waste sector, opportunities generally equate
6
to net GHG savings (UNEP, 2010).This research will seek to abate this guess work by providing
more information from the waste sectors which has been avoided by many researchers as its
contribution to GHGs and the opportunities that it presents to mitigation and adaptation had been
under estimated.
7
OBJECTIVES AND AIMS
Overall Objective
Specific Aims
8
BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE
This is your literature review. Use Headings 2 and 3 to provide sub headings in your review
9
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Overview
Use headings 2 and 3 as appropriate, and use these headings if appropriate.
Population and Study Sample
Sample Size and Selection of Sample
Sources of Data
Collection of Data
Exposure Assessment
Data Management
Data Analysis Strategies
Ethics and Human Subjects Issues
Timeframes
10
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE STUDY
11
PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE
12
BUDGET AND MOTIVATION
13
REFERENCES
Use the Vancouver Style of referencing. This is found at this website:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=citmed.TOC&depth=2 or a less detailed website:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html
References should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in the
text. Identify references in text, tables, and legends by Arabic numerals in parentheses. The titles of
journals should be abbreviated according to the style used in Index Medicus. Consult the list of
Journals Indexed for MEDLINE, published annually as a separate publication by the National Library
of Medicine. The list can also be obtained through the Library's web site..
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Questionnaire
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Appendix 2: Patient List
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