Household Perceptions on Solid Waste Management Practices in Developing Countries: The Experience of the Northern Part of Botswana, Donga Area

摘要

Unsustainable urbanization, population growth and changes in lifestyles contribute to increasing per capita domestic waste generation in Botswana which has resulted in poor environmental conditions in urban centres in the country. Solid waste disposal, in particular has become a daunting task for the local authorities who seem to lack the capacity to tackle the mounting waste situation. The matter of solid waste and its management in Botswana has catapulted itself into the limelight in the past decades during which a number of issues plagued the Solid Waste Management (SWM) sector. This abysmal situation of solid waste is perpetuated by the fact that in some instances hazardous and non hazardous wastes are still handled and disposed together without progressive proper segregation of wastes, thus creating a great health risk to municipal workers, the public and the environment. Despite the magnitude of the problem, practices, capacities and policies in solid waste are inadequate and require intensification in the country. The study investigates the nature of the solid waste problem in the city of Francistown, Donga Area, Botswana. It describes the waste situation in the Donga Area and identifies the causes of the problem from the perspective of the householders. The delivery of solid waste collection services across different socio-economic groups of the urban population is comprehensively examined. For empirical investigation, a qualitative approach was adopted to capture perceptions based on the specific conditions of householders, their awareness and needs together with observational and documentary data in the city of Francistown, Donga Area. The key issues identified by the study include that Botswana urban centres are experiencing worsening solid waste situation but the local authorities lack capacities in terms of logistical arrangements to cope with the situation while several causes of the urban waste crisis can be identified, lack of awareness and public education and political commitment are the root causes of worsening solid waste situation in Botswana towns and the two cities and that social and environmental injustices are being perpetuated against the poor in the delivery of waste collection services. Based on these findings from household perceptions, it has been argued that the solution to the worsening environmental conditions in most of the towns and the two cities in Botswana lies with the prioritization of urban environmental management, creation of awareness and commitment of Botswana?s political leadership to sustainable urban settlement development and integrated solid waste management.