DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED AND SUSTAINABLE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR URBAN AREAS OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

This doctoral research appraises and analyses the Municipal Solid Waste Management System (MSWMS) within Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad and recommends strategic interventions for integrated and sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management urban centres in Pakistan. These under observation cities confront myriad issues: inappropriate and inadequate MSWM service linked with inefficiency and heavy costs of the existing MSWM system. Interestingly, these case study cities employ three different models of MSWM, yet the situation is not improving despite consistent and continuous efforts and ultimately led to high recurring expenditure. This study attempts to develop an MSWM system to ensure sustainable, appropriate and adequate MSWM service. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are deployed in this research involving field observations and MWM stakeholders’ face-to-face conversations. A questionnaire-based survey was performed with 2170 participants – including residents of housing colonies, sanitary workers, staff at the waste disposal sites, waste scavengers working at waste disposal sites, private contractors, waste management specialists in academia, professional practitioners, relevant NGOs, and field staff of the organizations in case study areas. Additionally, 92 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) of practitioners in MSWM, professionals in academia, representatives from NGOs, traders’ associations and scavengers working at the waste disposal sites were conducted. This doctoral research investigates the existing MSWM systems in the selected cities through the lens of Sustainable and Integrated Municipal Waste Management System framework comprising of waste collection, waste transportation, waste processing, waste disposal, xi legal/institutional framework, operations management, appropriate technologies, financial management, private sector involvement, and stakeholders’ participation. This study finds out that the existing MWMS within the selected cities uses inappropriate technologies for waste transportation, waste storage and disposal, nonexistent data on waste generation rate and its characteristics, lack of participation of key stakeholders in MSWM operation and hiring of the non-technical managerial workforce. The existing MSWM operation faces problems of high cost, paucity of funds and financial mismanagement in generating alternate resources that result in inefficiency in the MSWM system. This situation in the case study cities can be overwhelmed by developing an integrated MSWMS focused on operational performance like the use of appropriate and cost-effective technologies, deploying skilled workforce, planning of system based on the accurate waste generation rate and composition, performance in terms of participation of essential stakeholders, waste reduction/minimization approaches and continuous monitoring. The suggested integrated solid waste management system (ISWMS) model should be replicated in other urban areas of Pakistan.