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Solid Waste Management has become an important issue with urban governments of low and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

TitleNon-governmental refuse collection in low-income urban areas : lessons learned from selected schemes in Asia, Africa and Latin America
Publication TypeMiscellaneous
Year of Publication1996
AuthorsPfammatter, R, Schertenleib, R
Secondary TitleSANDEC report
Volumeno. 1/96
Paginationiv, 70 p.: 11 fig., 10 photogr., 2 tab.
Date Published1996-01-01
PublisherWater and Sanitation in Developing Countries (SANDEC)
Place PublishedDuebendorf, Switzerland
Keywordscab97/1, cameroon douala, case studies, checklists, china shanghai, colombia cucuta, community level, contracts, cooperatives, cost recovery, costs, financing, ghana accra, indonesia cirebon, indonesia padang, indonesia surabaya, indonesia ujung pandang, indonesia yogyakarta, institutional framework, ivory coast abidjan, low-income communities, maintenance, non-governmental organizations, operation, peru cajamarca, peru lima, private sector, projects, small-scale activities
Abstract

Solid Waste Management has become an important issue with urban governments of low and middle-income countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Local authorities, especially in low-income urban areas, have difficulty in meeting the growing demand for infrastructure and public services such as refuse collection due to rapid urbanization, low political priority, limited awareness, operational deficiencies, use of inappropriate technologies, and poor allocation of resources. Consequently, refuse is dumped on roads and into open drains, thus leading to health risks and to a general degradation of the environment for millions of people. The only realistic approach to improve this situation is for the population in low-income areas to assume the responsibilities of the municipality in handling its waste, and to set up a system appropriate to its economic standing. This report summarizes some of the experiences gained with non-governmental refuse collection in low-income urban areas; i.e., with schemes which are operated and managed at community level by community-based organizations or small private enterprises. It reveals the most critical technical, operational, managerial, and service costs and financing aspects of alternative collection services and assesses the basic conditions for establishing successful schemes to deal with domestic waste. The report mainly addresses professionals who are aware of the urgent need for improvement in this sector and are willing to support appropriate options. It is written as a summary of lessons learned. The annexes comprise a preliminary check list for appropriate collection schemes, a model contract between public authorities and small private enterprises, and a description of the evaluated cases.

Notes34 ref.
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