Challenges and Practices of Integrated Solid Waste Management: Insights from Debre Berhan Reogiopolitant City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Solid waste governance is a significant global challenge, particularly exacerbated in rapidly urbanizing, low- income countries that often lack the infrastructure and resources to manage increasing waste volumes. This study investigates the challenges and practices of integrated solid waste management (ISWM) in Menelik Sub-City, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia. This study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods, including household surveys, key informant interviews, direct observation, and focus group discussions. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select respondents from residents, cooperative partnership associations, and sanitation administration staff. The results indicated that 37.4% of respondents recognized the lack of skilled manpower as a significant contributor to the inefficiency of solid waste management (SWM) while 40.3% of respondents highly agreed that inadequate infrastructure hindered the efficiency of SWM systems in the study area. The findings showed limited waste management practices in study area have environmental challenges and public health impacts. This is mainly due to inadequate waste collection, transportation, and disposal systems. Moreover, Menelik sub-city had to face tremendous challenges in waste management in the recent past, due to a number of factors–its growing population, increasing complexity of waste streams, and lack of effective waste management systems, proper infrastructure, capital investment, financial and human resources, as well as effective policy and regulatory enforcement. This study offers critical data and analysis that can inform policymakers, urban planners, and researchers. By identifying key barriers and effective practices, the findings contribute to the broader scientific discourse on sustainable waste management, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions of developing countries. The findings highlighted an integrated solid waste management (ISWM) based on the 5Rs (i.e. refuse, reduction, reuse, recycle and recovery) approach is an environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable solution, which urgently needed to be implemented by the city.