Solid Waste Dumping And Burning Practices In The Lesotho Lowlands

Abstract

Poor and inappropriate municipal waste management practices have become a universal problem and have led to adverse impacts on the environment and human health, especially in developing countries. In the lowlands of Lesotho, problems related to over population, changing consumption patterns and limited waste management services have been escalating, and these have exacerbated the impacts of inappropriate waste management methods. All activities in solid waste management involve risks that either impact workers who are directly involved or members of the community. It is for this reason that municipal solid waste management has recently been identified as a priority area for research. This study reports on the identification and assessment of waste dumping and burning and the determination of waste management factors that cause such practices, with specific focus on the Lesotho lowlands. The impact of waste disposal sites on the environment as well as those communities living in their vicinity was accessed. This was achieved by locating sites where open dumping and burning occurred and by reviewing their status with respect to their compliance with South African waste legislation as well as international and national guidelines. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Data were collected by using checklists when visiting the sites while two sets of questionnaires were also presented to 150 residents living in the vicinity of dumpsites or landfills and five waste management officials from five areas, namely Botha-Bothe, Hlotse, Maputsoe, Berea and Maseru. To administer the questionnaires to the residents, a direct door stepping approach was applied. The questionnaires were delivered by hand to respondents and returned to the researcher upon completion. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the results are presented in tables and graphs in this dissertation. The results indicate that the majority of the study population did not receive waste collection services and that most disposal sites were non-compliant with the minimum requirements for dumpsites or landfills. Waste burning was identified as a frequently used solid waste management method followed by backyard burying at residences. All five the councils (100%) under study had open dumpsites and the majority (76%; 1) of the residents mentioned that waste was burned on site, while 76.7% (84) of the residents mentioned that this was practised on a daily basis. Almost half (46.7%; 70) of the residents perceived that they were susceptible to health risks and it was revealed that gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases were prevalent at a rate of 44.1% (30) in these areas. In light of the emergence of new waste streams due to industrialization, the establishment of comprehensive legislation that is in line with globally accepted waste disposal norms is a major requirement in Lesotho. All the official disposal dumpsites under study need to be upgraded to functional landfills and they should be properly managed. Health and safety promotion interventions and sustainable waste projects need to be introduced for the benefit of the relatively young population of Lesotho. Risk awareness also needs to be enhanced among the communities in these councils and therefore local governments should prioritise municipal solid waste management and encourage public involvement in appropriate and sustainable waste management practices.