Present Status of Environmentally
Sound Management of Wastes in Africa
Patrick MWESIGYE
Uganda Cleaner Production Centre
John MBOGOMA
Independent consultant
Rene VAN BERKEL
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
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Background
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A desk top review was undertaken to appraise
the current status of environmentally sound
management of wastes in Africa
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Informed by:
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National reviews in Egypt, Kenya and Zambia
Inputs from ad hoc expert group meeting
Further submissions from waste management experts
Put in context of international commitments under
Agenda 21, JPoI and Multilateral Environmental
Agreements
Undertaken for UNIDO and ECA in close cooperation
with the Africa Roundtable on Sustainable
Consumption and Production
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Methodology
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Review of existing policy and strategy
documents
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Analysis of waste generation data where available
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Broad coverage
 Municipal, industrial, commercial, construction and
demolition, hazardous, medical, radio-active
Consultation of government and other stakeholders
 Experience of the National Cleaner Production
Centres
Limitations
 No independent data collection or verification
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 predominantly qualitative picture based on experts’
assessments
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Regional Gaps/1
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Institutional and Organisational
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Policy and Planning
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Stakeholders
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No national policies for waste reduction at source
Trust of laws and regulations on collection and disposal of
waste, not on recycling and recovery
Weak enforcement
Limited involvement of national stakeholders, including
private sector, community, and border controls
Capacity Building, Training and Information
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Low human, institutional and financial capacity to develop
and implement integrated waste management at all levels
and all sectors of government, industry and community
Waste management ranked low compared to other
national development goals and overall lacking awareness
4
Regional Gaps/2
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Institutional and Organisational/Ctd
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Finance and cost recovery
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General reluctance to pay for waste collection and disposal
High cost of appropriate equipment/technology for waste collection and
management
Waste Characterisists
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Information on types, sources, composition and volumes of various wastes
is incomplete and often outdated
5
Regional Gaps/3
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Waste Management Practices
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Generation
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Collection
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Lacking facilities for organic waste, plastics, etc
Random sorting and recovery by scavengers on streets and at dump sites
Land-filling
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Low efficiency due to limited availability of vehicles and lacking
maintenance
High cost for local governments (up to ~30% of local government budget)
Recycling and Recovery
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Efficiency and coverage of collections systems is low (estimated at ~ 40%
in urban areas)
Transportation
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No incentives for source reduction and segregation
Most landfills do not meet basic environmental controls, and uncontrolled
burning is common practice
Increasing demand for land fill space is not met
Cleaner Production
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Proven potential to reduce waste generation from businesses and other
organisations
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Overall Situation
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Waste management problems in Africa are varied and
complex, facing infrastructure, technical,
social/economic, organisational/management,
regulatory and legal challenges
Waste is typically disposed off without consideration for
environmental and human health impacts, leading to its
accumulation in cities, towns and uncontrolled
dumpsites
Co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste
without segregation is common practice
Municipal Solid Waste Management has been
intractable problem for long time and beyond the
capacity of most municipal and state governments
Improper waste disposal in Africa has resulted in poor
hygiene, lack of access to clean water and sanitation
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Major Trends and Emerging Issues
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Poor waste management aggravates the problems of generally low
sanitation levels
Urbanisation is on the rise, and expected to continue, often without
waste management planning and infrastructure
Waste management infrastructure largely non-existent in rural areas
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Gap between waste management policy and legislation is widening
due to ongoing capacity constraints or non existence of suitable
waste management facilities
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Contributing to high health cost, poverty and urban migration
Requires major investments and access to technical know how, for which means
are far-fetched
Waste generation to increase significantly as result of
industrialisation, urbanisation and modernisation of agriculture
Aggravating E-Waste problem due to growing use of ICT and rapid
turn-over
Increasing complexity of waste as result of changing lifestyle and
consumption patterns in particular of growing urban middle class
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Conclusions/1
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Waste Reduction
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Many recycling initiatives
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Paper, scrap metal, glass, plastics, C&D
Scavenging provides livelihood for urban poor
Smaller initiatives with organic waste
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Prevent and minimise waste and maximise reuse, recycling and use of environmentally sound
alternative materials with participation of government authorities and all stakeholders
Compost, biogas, bio-ethanol
Some research on biodegradable materials but no
commercialisation
NCPCs working with business to reduce waste
Declining availability of landfill space
Some policies to support development of recycling industry
Some bans on specific disposable products
Growing concerns on large volume mining waste and
legacies
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Conclusions/2
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Integrated Waste Management
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Most countries have some waste legislation and several
have started with integrated waste management
Slow progress in improving waste management systems
and extending waste service coverage
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Limited management capacity  continued co-disposal
Almost exclusive reliance on landfills
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Capacity, technical and financial constraints
Many countries have legislation for hazardous wastes
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Develop waste management systems and extend waste service coverage. Amongst others
develop and promote integrated waste management solutions to minimise urban and
industrial waste generation and promote recycling and reuse
Standards developed but most cannot meet these
 environmental and health risks and future liability
Some landfill gas collection (CDM)
Public Private partnerships are emerging and encouraged
Informal recovery by scavengers
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Greater efficiency dependent on organisation and formalisation
of recycling and waste management sectors
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Conclusions/3
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Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA)
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Ratification and implementation of relevant international instruments on
hazardous waste including Bamako Convention, 4th Lome Convention and
Basel Convention and its protocol on liability and compensation for damage
resulting from transboundary movement and disposal of waste
Most countries have ratified relevant international
instruments and are at different stages with
development and implementation of national action
plans (Basel and Bamako)
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Lacking implementation due to absence of financial
instrument
Protocol on liability and compensation still outstanding
Most countries lack comprehensive inventories of
hazardous waste and sites potentially contaminated
through inappropriate disposal of hazardous waste
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Conclusions/4
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Illegal Trafficking
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Now controlled by Basel and related conventions which
have been ratified and are being implemented
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Need to strengthen border controls and involve revenue
authorities
Growing concerns about imports of used consumer goods
that contain hazardous materials
Cooperation
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Preventing international illegal trafficking of hazardous wastes and to prevent damage
resulting from the trans-boundary movement of hazardous wastes in a manner consistent
with obligations under relevant international instruments
Global and regional cooperation, including exchange of information and experience and transfer of
appropriate technologies to improve the management of (radio-active) wastes
Need to improve exchange of information, including
volumes, best practices and storage methods (IAEA)
Need to prepare for greater use of nuclear energy and its
wastes
Management of radio-active materials in mining is growing
concern, as is the import of equipment containing radioactive materials
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Conclusions/5
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Contaminated Sites
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Support the clean up of sites contaminated as a result of all types of nuclear
activity and to conduct health studies in the regions around those sites as
appropriate with a view to identifying where health treatment may be needed
and should be provided
Africa still lacks a comprehensive inventory of
potentially contaminated sites
Sound Management of Radio-Active Wastes
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Including: sound storage, transportation, trans-boundary movement and
disposal of radioactive material guided by principles of Agenda 21; technical
assistance to African countries on management and safe disposal; and
identification of safety measures
Importance is widely acknowledged, but capacity
remains still very low
13
Recommendations/1
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Waste Reduction
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Policy, Planning, Legislation and Enforcement
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Stakeholder Participation
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Integration and coordination needs to be achieved
among sectors and levels of government and with
stakeholders in private sector and civil society
Cleaner Production
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Policies and strategies need to be strengthened and/or
developed and enforced, addressing all waste streams,
sources and recycling, recovery and disposal options
Enhance capacity and create awareness on importance
and benefits of Cleaner Production across Africa
Technologies
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Accelerate the development and dissemination of
appropriate technologies and practices for
environmentally sound management of various waste
streams
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Recommendations/2
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Integrated Waste Management
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Capacity Building and Training
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Public Awareness
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Boost general awareness on impacts of waste on human
health and environment
Finance and Cost Recovery
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Improve formal and informal training and learning
Strengthen capacities of responsible agencies
Charge for waste collection and encourage private sector
and enable NGOs to initiate new projects
Data and Monitoring
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Data on waste quantities and characteristics need to be
improved to enable planning and investment and
independently monitor and evaluate achievements
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Recommendations/3
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Integrated Waste Management/ctd
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Best Practices and Technologies
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Improve collection and transportation systems for
all waste streams
Encourage waste segregation at source and
develop appropriate recycling systems at
appropriate scales with private sector and civil
society partners
Improve recovery in particular from organic wastes
Ensure adequate treatment of medical wastes
Change over to controlled landfill operations and
avoid co-disposal of medical and hazardous waste
16
Recommendations/4
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Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Speed up ratification by all countries
 Provide means of implementation, including
financial instruments, in particular for Basel
convention
 Finalise agreements
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Implementation of Bamako convention
Liability and Compensation Protocol
Complete inventories of hazardous wastes and
contaminated sites
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Recommendations/5
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Illegal Trafficking
Improve trans-border controls and policing
 Strengthen controls on imports of used goods
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Radio-Active Wastes
Improve exchange of best practice information
 Strengthen planning and management
capacities
 Create capacity for environmentally sound
management and storage
 Identify contaminated sites and develop and
implement remediation strategies
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Implementation Challenges and Constraints
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Creation of sufficient capacity for environmentally sound management,
including where appropriate recovery and recycling, of various waste
streams across Africa
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Responsibility for waste management has been vested in municipalities
which are ill-equipped.
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Progress is constrained by access to finance and technical know how
Creates an impediment for private sector investment in waste management
Effective control over imports is needed to avoid entry of second hand
goods and substandard products that contribute to rise in waste
volumes
Implementation and enforcement of waste regulations and
international conventions is severely constrained by lack of good
governance and transparency
Inadequate or limited awareness and appreciation for best practices
for environmentally sound management of wastes is a major
constraint
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Paradigm shift among communities and society at large is needed.
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Lessons Learned/Best Practices
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Involve private sector
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Focus on income generation
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Incentivise good waste management practices
Bolster practical and attitudinal change
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Job creation in waste collection, transport, recycling
and recovery
Introduce refuse collection charges
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Access to managerial and technical know how and
finance
Perceptions are changing, but pace is slow and not
yet widespread
Prepare for new challenges
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E-waste, radio-active wastes
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Expectations from Africa
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Support for transfer and dissemination of knowledge and
technology and foster investment in best practices for
environmentally sound management of waste
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The scale of necessary investment for proper waste management and
sanitation is beyond the capacity of African countries
Implementation of international agreements and assistance
for building national institutional and human capacities for
implementation and enforcement
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Conclusion of negotiations and ratification of protocol on liability and
compensation for damages under the Basel Convention
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Support for inventorying of hazardous and radio-active
wastes and sites contaminated by poor waste management
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Assistance at level of raising awareness and cultural change
for integrated waste management
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Thank You
Cleaner and Sustainable
Production Unit
Environmental Management
Branch
PO Box 300,
A 1400 Vienna, Austria
R.VanBerkel@unido.org
www.unido.org/cp
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