A User-focused Knowledge-base for Goal-oriented Municipal Solid Waste Management in Uganda (UGoS)

Project manager:

Municipal solid waste management is one of the major challenges for low income countries’ urban regions. According to international experts, waste collection should be extended, sanitary landfills should replace existing dumpsites, and recycling of waste should be increased. These measures should furthermore not impair the municipal budgets. However, a number of initiatives in the past have failed, often explained through 'lack of knowledge'.

This research project poses the question which knowledge is required for a sound, well-functioning municipal solid waste management system in low income countries’ urban regions. The objective of the project is the development of a knowledge-base for goal-oriented solid waste management, driven by the demand of relevant actors (“users”) and respecting the goals of waste management (protection of human health and the environment; conservation of resources).
The case study for the research is the East-Ugandan town of Busia, where the local NGO “Youth Environment Service” (YES) and municipal authorities have introduced a solid waste collection system. Although the hygienic situation has improved, problems like the incomplete waste collection or collection and disposal of hazardous waste remain. On the other hand, the town benefits from a composting/landfill project, initiated by National and International Organisations, where equipment and operation manuals, but hardly any know-how on economic sustainability or compost utilization is transferred.
An interdisciplinary team consisting of Busia Municipal Council, the NGO “Youth Environment Service”, Busitema University and Vienna University of Technology aims to create the space, where the later users of the knowledge base can formulate their demands, but also share their current knowledge. The strategies and solutions developed therein should help to improve solid waste management in Busia. The general research approach is circular and bases on action research. Research methods applied refer to data collection and processing (interviews, surveys, group discussions, material sampling) and demonstration (workshops, public presentations/discussions, material flow analysis, ecological/economical assessment).
The project is supported by the Commission for Development Studies, Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).

Blogwebsite:  http://eastern-uganda-environment.blogspot.com/