The Problem of Solid Waste Management in Nigerian Cities (A Case of Owerri Municipal Area, Council)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
- To investigate the effect of solid waste management practice on the environment.
- To determine the effect of solid waste landfills on the environment
- To appraise the strategy for effective solid waste landfill management practice
- To determine the management practices of Nigeria for effective solid waste management landfill
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The problem of solid waste disposal is one of the most serious environmental problems facing many cities in Nigeria. Waste management plays an integral role in human activities. Various ways of managing solid waste includes disposal by either burying or burning, reduce or reusing, recycling and energy generation. Solid waste management differs in developing countries like Nigeria, and in industrialized countries of the world like Germany. Several factors are responsible for the differences, a good example of these are the types of waste generated in developing countries. Contreau (1982) submitted that, in developing countries, there is much high proportion of organic and considerably less plastic waste such that the large amount of organic material makes the waste denser with greater moisture and smaller particles. Another factor identified is that the technology in use in industrialized countries are inappropriate in developing countries because of the much heavier, wetter and corrosive nature of generated waste in developing countries. Lastly, developing countries, most cities are unplanned and characterized by haphazard construction of sprawling slums with narrow roads that are inaccessible to collection vehicles, (Daskalopoulos 1998). Omotoso and Jegede (2009) observed that in recent in years, solid waste generation in metropolitan cities has increased prodigiously. They added that major high-ways have suddenly become the dunghill for many citizens. The state seems to have acquired the unenviable status of being one of the dirtiest cities in world. It is a development that has malevolently aided the environmental problems of the mega-city. Adegoke (1990) defined waste as substance and materials, which are disposed of, or required to be disposed of, according to the provision of national laws. In the same vein, Oxford Dictionary (1980) defined wastes as that which is not or cannot be used, no longer of use. Consequently, of these waste materials were not well managed, they could result to serious health hazards. In Nigeria, solid waste management is constitutionally a local government function. This is not exactly the position in Imo State, where the Imo State Waste Management Board (ISWMB) exists as the sole public agency responsible for waste management in the state. Imo State Waste Management Board came into being because, it was assumed that individual Local Government Authorities were incapable of performing the function of waste management. Moreover, at the time of its establishment, solid waste management situation in owerri was chaotic and embarrassing to most of her residents. Solid waste management, in terms of domestic, industrial and commercial wastes, traditionally consists of collection and disposal methods, depending on the type of waste, the area and level of processing required. West Africa Health Examination Board (1991) viewed waste management as the systematic administration of activities, which provide for the collection transportation and processing of waste:
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study solid waste land fill in Nigeria, in the course of the study 200 staff of federal ministry of environment was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the problem of solid waste management in Nigeria cities. The case study is the city of Owerri, Imo state.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the problem of solid waste management in Nigeria cities.
Summary
Waste management plays an integral role in human activity. The overall view of solid waste management is to collect, treat and dispose solid waste by cities dwellers in an environmentally and socially satisfactory manner. Until recently, Nigerians have not been particularly concerned about proper waste management, open dumping and open burning in unapproved locations has been the norms. The constraints to effective solid waste management are not limited to lack of policy or laws, but poor infrastructure, education, social awareness of problems and solutions, and lack of institution promoting sustainable environmental actions.
Conclusion
Fire incidents on landfills and dumps in Nigeria, especially those involving burning tyres will continue to pose a serious risk to the health of nearby residents through prolonged or repeated exposure to the toxic chemicals they emit and the contamination of groundwater. Some of the hazardous chemical compounds emitted by burning tyres are capable of causing severe health conditions such as reproductive and developmental disorders, and cancers in humans. Effective landfill management by the operators is therefore necessary to prevent the occurrence of these fires in order to protect the environment and human health. The disposal of waste tyres should be prohibited at all landfills by thoroughly inspecting and controlling incoming waste. Buried waste should also be compacted on a regular basis to prevent hot spots from forming. Since methane is highly flammable and can pose a fire hazard, gas collection and control systems should be installed at the sites to collect landfill gas which can be flared to convert methane to gases less harmful to the environment or converted to energy. This research examines landfill emission and their impact on the environment in Nigeria and therefore calls for the need to improve on waste management practices and construct well engineered sanitary landfills to ensure the protection of human health and the environment.
Recommendation
Having successfully completed the study, the following recommendations are put forward by the researcher:
- Strategic environmental planning of waste management practices should be put in place in Nigeria cities
- There is need to ensure strict adherence to guidance and cost analysis of solid waste options in the area.
- Community participation in collection, selection of sites and design of facilities is inherently essential for sustainability.
- There is need to strengthen the work force, by recruiting more personnel in the Waste Management Authority.
- Government should provide adequate funds for waste management personnel for the purchase of more evacuating vehicles and waste disposal containers.
- There is need for environmental and public health education on the danger of indiscriminate waste disposal in the study area.
- The government should train staffs in the recycling of solid waste for useful purposes.
References
- United States Fire Administration (USFA), “Landfill fires, their magnitude, characteristics and mitigation,” TriData Corporation, Arlington, Virginia, USFA Tech. Rep. FA-225, 2002.
- Oyelola, A. I. Babatunde, “Characterization of domestic and market solid wastes at source in Lagos metropolis, Lagos, Nigeria,” Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Tech., vol. 3(12), pp. 430-437, 2008.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), “Municipal solid waste generation, recycling, and disposal in the United States: Facts and figures for 2007,” EPA Tech. Rep. MSW-07, 2008.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks,” EPA Tech. Rep. 236-R-01-001, 2001.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, “U.S. methane emissions 1990-2000: Inventories, projections, and opportunities for reductions,” EPA Tech. Rep. 430-R-99-013, 1999.
- Tchobanoglous, H. Theisen, and S. A. Vigil, Integrated solid waste management: engineering principles and management issues, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993.
- New Zealand Ministry of Environment, “Landfill guidelines: hazards of burning on landfills,” Tech. Rep., 1997.
- United States Fire Administration (USFA), “Topical fire research series: landfill fires,” USFA Tech. Rep., 22pp, 2001.
