Urban dwellers and solid waste management plans: A case study of selected towns in Afar regional state, Ethiopia

Abstract

The increase in quantity and composition of solid waste has come up with a necessity of effective measures to cope up with its negative impacts in our society. One possible measure, in this case, is the participation of the public as part of the solution. This study is aimed at the estimation of the non-market welfare gain as a result of proposed improved solid waste management plans for households in some selected towns of Afar region, Ethiopia using Contingent Valuation Method. The proposed improvements are presented by a scenario where the frequency, payment vehicle, and appropriate disposal mechanism were considered. Ordinary Least Square model with twelve variables for residential households and with nine variables for commercial households was estimated. We have notable differences between residential households and commercial households’ average willingness to pay for improvement in solid waste management. Generally, it was seen that solid waste management could also be source of income apart from the environmental benefits. The people can play a decisive role in solid waste management by sharing its costs.

Keywords:

• households
• contingent valuation method
• solid waste management
• ordinary least square
• Ethiopia

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Solid waste management is a widely researched area of study. There are ample studies on waste generation, waste recycling, waste disposal and waste content. However, the public preference and potential participation is less sought. Public policies based on researches that neglect this important part are obviously one sided. The large amount of solid waste generation is a real threat to the environment. In Afar region, solid waste management is at its lowest stage compared to even the Ethiopian standard. The inclusion of the perceptions of urban dwellers can help better informed policies and decisions.

Competing Interest

The author declared that there are no potential competing interests.

Cover Image

Source: Author.

Notes

1. Khat is a plant with chewable leaves that is widely chewed in the study area and in many parts of Ethiopia as a stimulant. It is highly addictive.

Additional information

Funding

The author has not received any sort of funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Metkel Aregay Gebreeyosus

Metkel Aregay Gebreeyosus is a lecturer in the department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Mekelle University, Ethiopia. He has researched on range of environmental issues including sustainable land management, community developed exclosures and investment on land. Generally, his research interests include waste management, forestry and livelihood, issues related to rural land and poverty among others. This current work relates the general solid waste management scenario to the perceptions of urban dwellers. It helps solid waste management policies to look into the demand side of the story rather than focusing on the supply side only.