CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Solid waste management is in crisis in many cities globally because of population growth and expansion. This has led to ever increasing quantities of domestic solid waste while space for disposal reduces. In urban areas, especially in the rapid urbanizing cities of the developing world, there is increase in volume and types of solid waste as a result of continuous economic growth, and industrialization. The growth of the towns and cities has resulted in increased population coupled with increased socio-economic activities, but there has not been enough in logistics for effective and efficient waste management services delivery. This problem has been acknowledged by most governments and municipal authorities. (World Bank Technical Guidance Report 1999; v)

The urban centers generate tremendous amount of garbage from households, schools medical facilities, and industrial areas (Boadi & Kuitunem, 2002).It is estimated that in 2006 the total amount of municipal solid waste generated globally reached 2.02 billion tones, representing a 7% annual increase since 2003 (Global Waste Management Market Report, 2007). It is further estimated that between 2007 and 2011, global generation of municipal waste will rise by 37.3%, equivalent to roughly 8% increase per year. If the trend should continue the same way then solid waste generation globally will be equivalent to 8% in 2012.

The main problems facing cities in developing countries with regard to waste management are related to the collection of waste from the city environments, with between one-third and one-half of all the waste generated in the cities remaining uncollected. Recent studies in Africa have shown that the problem of waste management has become intractable and threatens to undermine the efforts of most city authorities. Kirondi (1999:102) has observed

that the city environment in most developing countries is characterised by heaps of garbage, overflowing waste containers, chocked drains, clogged streams and stinking gutters. Hardoy et al. (1993:4) have therefore, aptly described the Third World urban environment as “among the most health and life threatening of all human environments”.

According to UNICEF (1995), in sub –Saharan Africa, two-thirds of the people do not have access to improved sanitation and it has become necessary for national and local governments to ensure effective and sustainable management of waste. Recent events in major urban centres in Africa have shown that the problem of waste management has become a monster that has aborted most efforts by city authorities, states and federal governments and professionals‟ alike (Onibokun, 1999:2).

Urbanization is not a new phenomenon in Africa. However, the current rate of uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization in Africa has given rise to a huge amount of liquid and solid wastes being produced,  so  much  so  that  these  wastes  have  long  outstripped  the  capacity of city authorities to collect and dispose of them safely and efficiently (Porter & Boakye-Yiadom Jr,1997; Chazan, 2002; Wetherall, 2003).

The increasing problems of waste disposal also bring to the fore questions related to governance, good government, and sometimes bad or poor governance in Africa. Swilling (1996:173) writes, “as levels of urbanization rise, the governance and management of urban development processes become increasingly important for the governance and management of a country as a whole” (Swilling cited in Gough 1999: 395).

In Ghana, waste management which is an assigned responsibility of the local authorities continues to be a challenge to city and rural dwellers. Various cities and managers of waste in

Ghana are overwhelmed with the volume of waste generated. In Accra, between 1,500-1,800 tonnes of waste are generated daily (AMA/WMD, 2005). Ghana‟s five largest cities (Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Tema) accounts for about 19% of the total population and their residents generate an estimated 3,200 tonnes of solid waste per day (National Environmental Sanitation Strategy Action Plan, 2010). An average of 1200 tonnes of waste is collected daily. The uncollected wastes find its way into drainage systems and other open spaces as their final destination.

Some of the uncollected waste can also be found scattered inside communities, footpaths and along the streets. Management of solid waste is extremely poor and the recycling of sewerage and industrial wastes is practically non-existent. Inadequate disposal of solid wastes poses a risk to public health. The Projection of waste generation in Accra Metropolitan area for two

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