Waste Management, Research Paper Example

Waste Management in Developing Countries

As urbanization continues to take place in developing countries, waste management is also becoming a major environmental and public health concern in the urban areas.  Typically a waste management system in developing countries displays a range of problems, which include irregularities in collection services, low collection coverage, crude open dumping, and disposal through burning with no control for water and air pollution among others (Elizabeth H. 1998). These environmental, public healths as well as management problems are as a result of several factors which hinder the development of effective waste management systems. The problems include social, technical, economic, institutional, economic, and social constraints. Implementation of programmes has often failed because of the lack of the potential for technical assessment, planning and financing as well as support from the public Issam A. et al (2007).

To achieve an effective management of waste, cooperation of the general public and decision makers is required. The public should be involved when making decisions on waste management as they have better knowledge of the region than the authorities  and can also provide cheap labour for collection of waste. This will help solve social and financial constraints affecting waste management (Bartone, C.R. 1995).

Hazardous waste poses a potential harm to human health if managed improperly. Cause, the waste contributes significantly to an increase in mortality or incapacitating reversible illness or serious irreversible illnesses. Children have been born with abnormalities due to exposure of the mothers to hazards during pregnancy. Exposure to such waste may also cause cancer, infertility among others (Orloff K. &Henry F. 2003).

Hazardous waste may be in solid, liquid or in gaseous form. Since hazardous waste threatens public health, its disposal requires handling with special protective devices unlike in normal solid waste which requires normal protective clothing like gloves to prevent contact. Even the equipment used to transport hazardous waste is specially made for example containers for transporting waste with radioactive material is made of lead of some certain thickness to avoid leakage. While solid waste is disposed by burning in combustors, hazardous waste must be burned in incinerators. Hazardous waste needs treatment before disposal to reduce the harmful effects before disposal while that is not necessary for solid waste disposal (Orloff K. &Henry F. 2003).

References

Bartone, C.R. (1995). “The role of the private sector in developing countries: Keys to success. Paper presented at ISWA Conference on Waste Management – Role of the Private Sector, Singapore, 24-25 September 1995.

Elizabeth H. (1998) .Solid waste management: critical issues for developing countries. West indies: Canoe University press.

Issam A. et al.(2007).Trends and problems of solid waste management in developing countries: A journal Waste Management, Volume 27,  Pages 1910-1919

Orloff K. &Henry F. (2003). An international perspective on hazardous waste practices. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 206 (4-5):291- 302.