Title:

Turning organic waste into a scoio-economic resource: A case study of the City of Windhoek, Namibia

Publication Year:
2014
Abstract:

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a major problem, especially in large cities in developing countries (DCs) and the City of Windhoek in Namibia is no exception. The main contributing factors to the problem are rapid population growth and economic advancement which increases the generation of solid waste. Approximately 63% of the MSW in Windhoek is organic and its inadequate management could result in enormous impacts on the environment, economy and health of the people. These include emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) e.g. methane which is known to contribute to climate change; pollution of soil, air and water; public health impacts, and waste of usable resources. This study quantified the social, economic and environmental benefits that can be derived from aerobic processing of the organic fraction of MSW (OFMSW) in Windhoek. Data was gathered through literature review, interviews and observations. Results from this study show that aerobic processing of OFMSW in Windhoek can successfully recover resources such as organic fertilisers (20 000 tons/annum), reduce GHGs emissions (66%) and the volume of waste to be landfilled (62%). It also has the potential to create employment for approximately 200 of the urban poor, and generate approximately US$ 3 million in revenue annually. The study further highlights challenges such as lack of business plans and source segregation of organics which need to be addressed to ensure success of composting initiatives. Keywords: composting, municipal solid waste, Namibia, organic fraction, Windhoek.

Publication Title:

IAIA14 Conference Proceedings

Conference name:
Impact Assessment for Social and Economic Development, 34th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment, 8 - 11 April 2014
Place:
Enjoy Hotel and Casino, Viña del Mar, Chile
Item Type:
Conference Paper
Language:
en