An assessment of solid waste disposal and management in Zanzibar stone town

Urban solid waste management has been a serious global environmental problem. Zanzibar city also faces this global challenge. In Zanzibar, particularly the Stone Town, solid waste collection and disposal are very critical due to the increased waste generation coupled with the low collection capacity of the actors involved. This study aimed at assessing the solid wastes disposal and management in Zanzibar Stone Town. The specific objectives of this study were: to examine the nature and characteristics of solid waste produced at the household and institutional level in the study area; to analyse the operationalization of the solid waste collection process from the household level to the final disposal site and lastly to evaluate the efficiency of measures and strategies used in solid waste management in the study area. The study used a case study type of research in order to collect detailed information about the problem. The study involves 121 households drawn from the three selected wards that were randomly selected. Data collection used in the study include structured questionnaire with household members, interview with key informants, FGD and field observation. SPSS (IBM version 20) and Microsoft excel were used for quantitative data analysis where qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The result showed that 71 percent of the wastes generated in Stone Town were domestic and commercial in nature. Seventy five percent of the wastes were organic which was the leading type of the waste generated in the study area. However the results showed that 69 percent of the household in the study area were not involved in any solid waste management activities where only 31 percent carried out solid waste management activities. Furthermore, 90 percent of the households used poor storage facilities. The situation of the dumpsite was unsatisfactory in terms of size and operation. Likewise the study showed that there were weak enforcement of laws associated with solid waste management due to inadequate awareness of laws and regulations among the community living in the study area. The study conclude that the solid waste management in the study area were generally inefficient, unco-rdinated and unsustainable. The study recommended that the authority concerned and other stakeholders should make sure that they plan for consistent policies and legislation on solid waste management. Also bye-laws associated with solid waste management should be made known to the people and dully enforced.