杨贵妃传媒

Mbale is a lively city in the Eastern Region of Uganda known for its stimulating hiking trails and bountiful crops, making it an optimal location for both tourists and residents. However, Mbale is facing an urgent waste management crisis that aims to threaten the daily operations of the city.

While Mbale has a waste dumping site managed by the City Council, its management is neither efficient nor effective. The waste management problem is most severe in areas occupied by low-income earners and slum settlements. These areas lack a coherent, acceptable, and sustainable waste management plan. Consequently, waste continues to be disposed of in public spaces such as roads, paths, drainage channels, and water bodies. Other wastes are burnt or composted depending on individual household conditions. To address these issues, the city required clear data that provides a situational analysis of waste management perceptions and practices. 

Conducted by students and staff from Makerere University and the International University of East Africa, this project set out to do just that. The research team focused on the five main slum settlements in Mbale: Mooni-Mukhubu, Busamaga,聽Namakwekwe, Nkoma, and Namatala. Within these聽settlements, observations were made on how community聽members created, engaged with, and disposed of waste.聽 The students and staff examined factors such as the types聽of wastes generated, the potential for recycling,聽estimated quantities of wastes, utilities available (water,聽drainage, power, sewage), and physical space utilization聽in relation to waste management. Graph of challenges faced by households in waste management聽

This observational data collection was done alongside interviews of community members, Mbale City leaders, representatives of the Slum Dwellers Federation (SDF), civil society organizations, and private waste collectors/managers. Interviewees were asked about their personal standing in the community, attitude towards waste, and knowledge of waste reduction. These dialogues were then used to identify potential stakeholders that could contribute and support

effective waste management efforts within the city. The team held a meeting for these stakeholders to discuss management goals both in the long and short-term, and how each attendee could best get involved in the campaign towards sustainable disposal tactics.聽

Key findings from the baseline data collection within the settlement found that the largest sum of waste type at 21% was from peelings, while 17% was non-biodegradable, and 16% was biodegradable. Additionally, 31% of households stated that their primary form of waste management was burning. The two biggest challenges identified by the community were illegal dumping and a lack of awareness about proper tactics (18% and 16%, respectively). The stakeholder meeting also produced solid suggestions on how waste management could be improved, including establishing more collection points around settlements, providing tools for effective disposal, and increasing recycling efforts. 

The project resulted in a stakeholder-guided brochure and flier outlining a circular approach to waste management and steps to achieve this goal. Emphasis was placed on waste reduction, reuse, and recycling methods, building upon small efforts already present in the slum communities.聽

The waste management challenge in Mbale City remains a critical issue that requires a multi-stakeholder approach. The significant shift needed to address this problem will require concerted efforts from households, private sector waste managers, and cooperation from waste

generators at the manufacturing level and private entrepreneurs. However, the research project has illuminated this issue and laid out steps towards a successfully managed waste system. 

Effective waste management will improve sanitation and the physical environment of the city, as well as strengthen partnerships between Makerere University, Mbale City Council, SDF, and the slum dwellers. This 杨贵妃传媒 partnership and project will open up new employment opportunities, enhance existing ones, and promote sustainable livelihoods. This, in turn, will contribute to lower pollution levels, leading to a safer and healthier environment for the slum communities.聽

This project is completed.