The Geography of Solid Waste Management

Abstract: Kampala the capital city of Uganda, as well as other cities in the developing world, is facing problems in managing solid waste generated by household. The population is outnumbering government’s capacity to handle the amount waste generated. Lack of service coverage in poor neighborhoods is forcing people to use illegal methods of waste disposal. This includes open space dumping and burning of waste. Accumulated waste and bad air quality are putting people living in those environments at risk. The situation is described as a crisis amongst scholars. The response from the government to this ongoing waste crisis has been a strategy that is encouraging private operators to participate. In the name of good governance is the current strategy aiming to establish partnerships with business organizations, NGOs, CBOs, religious organizations and so forth. The study area is well researched and much research, and also my findings, shows little evidence of improvement of the situation. Given this situation, this study is aiming to understand the current approach to planning from a theoretical point of view, and the de facto outcomes on the ground from an empirical (judged by the perception of people) point of view. This will reveal what Watson calls a situation of conflicting rationalities. On the one hand there is a will from the government to control development and imply strategies, and on the other hand there is the marginalized populations will to survive and inability to pay for services.