eoUNOARIES Intemational DlslJict
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Plate 2.1: Showing Slope of Ha T'sosane Dumpsite Draining into Maqalika Dam
Source: Photos 28 taken during data collection exercise.
Attempts to improve on the deficiency in environmental issues were made in 1998 when Lesotho published a National Environmental Action Plan with the assistance ofthe World Bank (GOL, 1989), and the umbrella Environmental Policy.29 Even though this policy does not go into details on solid waste management, it does spell out in its objectives the promotion of safe collection, hauling and disposal of wastes based on established guidelines to reduce environmental pollution and the spread of diseases. This strengthens the need for more data and information on the subject in order to develop guidelines.
This study will therefore go a long way in the provision of data and information which is necessary and useful for policy makers to develop guidelines and specific policy on solid waste
28 The photo in page 23 depicting the Scavenger, three Research Assistants and the Principal Researcher.
29 Lesotho National Environmental Policy, April 1998, National Environment Secretariat, Maseru, Lesotho.
management. As already indicated, the availability of labour in both Maseru and Maputsoe has increased dramatically due to high urban population growth ofthese two towns, but has not been matched by economic development. Therefore, if properly coordinated with strong community involvement, recycling being a high labour-intensive activity and so should contribute substantially to employment generation. To this effect, Maseru and Maputsoe, where adult unemployment is currently placed at 44.8% (GOL, 1992), should be able to provide the required labour. And more especially, it has been estimated that if waste recycling and reprocessing is fully developed, the sector could employ about 2% of the urban population (Habitat, 1994). Waste collection, recycling and re-use could also alleviate poverty and create jobs in Lesotho, especially in the targeted areas namely Maseru and Maputsoe.
A need may arise to assess the preference of the community for certain collection and recycling schemes since its success will depend on their involvement. However, such an assessment will aim at securing the largest possible net gain to the community as a whole. Efficiency criteria should not be restricted to net economic gains but should incorporate an assessment of wider and sometimes less tangible external costs and benefits associated with collection, recycling and waste disposal in general.
As indicated in this chapter, it is re-emphasized here that, in developing countries, including Lesotho, disposal of municipal solid waste is often combined with ash, human waste (where sewerage systems do not reach substantial portion of the population), medical waste (Bartone and Bernstein, 1990), and industrial waste (Benavides, 1992). For this reason, municipal solid waste in developing countries is in most cases more harmful to humans and the ecological health than in industrialized countries, yet in these countries, municipal solid waste is often a resource to the poor. The findings of this study have implication for the handling of this type of waste and their recycling and re-use activities.
Most of the studies concerning informal sector tend to concentrate only on the socially acceptable and more visible activities of this sector, such as petty commodity production and hawking (Tevera, 1993). Few studies focus on the stigmatized informal-sector occupations such as waste harvesting (scavenging), prostitution and begging. This study assesses the benefits of waste harvesting, linkage between scavenging activities and hardships faced by these scavengers, and the
indicative occurrences of diseases amongst the scavengers in Lesotho, which may relate to these activities.
Lesotho's population in general and in particular those poor people in urban areas, experience serious fuel shortage through lack ofbiomass as a source of domestic fuel for energy (Mvuma, 2001). Some people, especially those in Maseru, urban poor residential areas are seen using textile off-cuts as a source of biomass energy for domestic cooking (Mvuma, 1997). This study will attempt to generate information useful for biomass energy fuel providers who would make briquettes. Notably, the data and information of importance would be the estimated proximate, ultimate and heat values generated in given amounts of waste in the study.
In summary, from the literature search and pre-Ieminary survey, solid waste management in Lesotho has a number of problems that require attention, including, but not limited to:
• Limited legal and institutional framework to manage waste, and absence of solid waste policy.
• High littering, particularly within major sites.
• Lack of a co-ordinating agency/WCA on recycling and inefficient collection system.
• Haphazard dumping of waste at inappropriate dumpsites that are sometimes unmanaged and situated in places that easily allow leachates and run-offs to go into drinking water courses. See the photo Plate 2.1 in this Chapter and Map 4.1 in Chapter 4 concerning the Ha T'sosane Dumpsite located in residential area).
• Lack of waste classification system, which leads to co-disposal of both hazardous and non hazardous wastes together.
• Localised air pollution of waste at dumpsites caused by burning of waste at dumpsites threatens the health of local communities.
• Limited awareness of waste management by the waste generators, what local and community level.
•
Lack of financial resources.•
Lack of incentives for private sectors dealing with waste management.f .. a1 30
• Lack of commitment by decision makers on the management 0 mumclp waste The problem of waste management is further compounded by the fact that the generation of waste
has, according to Mhlanga and Gulilat (1997) exceeded by far its collection services in every urban area in the country. The response to the above-mentioned problems led to the formulation of the objective of this research. These objectives are given in Section 2.8 of this Chapter.
There is also a vicious circle ifpoverty that is linked to environmental issues, viz-a-viz solid waste problems as indicated in Diagram 2.6. Urbanisation results in more waste generated from households, rendering Local Authorities incapable of effectively handling the waste generated.
This factor, combined with waste from the industries and commercial establishments pose dangers and problems to the human health and pollution to the environment.
To combat the dangers in the poverty circle may require attacking various points of the poverty circle as found in Diagram 2.6 The environment, in the form of waste management activities provides a point of entry in this process as long as these activities generate sustainable jobs. Since waste management can play a role in breaking the vicious circle of poverty, it calls for all the Basothos (and in this case, even all the SADC citizenry) to take note that waste management is a priority for everyone and that action is urgently required to address the problem. Community-
based waste management, in which waste management systems contribute to sustainable development and improve the quality of life, would provide the route of solution to the problem.
As already, indicated, recycling and solid waste management through entrepreneurship and the formation of micro-enterprises would seal the success of the programme. Indicative processes involved in this route are given in this chapter. This process would also be useful for those intending to start waste management practices that would benefit the community.
30 "Report on UNIDO Waste Management Training Workshop in Mozambique". T'seliso Mabeli, NES, Lesotho, December 1998.
Diagram 2.6 Poverty- Environment Cycle Linkages
POVERTY
PIn l!r\\ chara.:h:n'II~'i ,,1' Ule S<lIllPll' p,'pul.llWIlS Inal!t-qual': ac.;e~s 1\) .;icon \luter ITI n:m('le arcas /I. hljl.h propOr\lOn h3\e>'\ chlldren/famlh (Mohale'" 1101'1.; 10°'" I haha-I ,~kaf,2'~'"
Mafctcng:')2%1
I Ill!.: a~ccs' I" ru.:! anJ I"botll , .. \IIlg. dc\ I~C, Ihcn:f,,£(: children arc ITqum:u 1<' hdp III f,,:IJ, anu III lwmc
l hJlJrell ate" roml ,)1' sc<'unl, In old 'I)lC /I. IIIg.h Pl"p<Htltl[l ha"; kmai<'I1l'aJcd h"I""hoIJ, (Mohale ,1f,1l'l-;('2"" Thaha-l scka (,""~, Mu r~leng 5XU,u)
The 10\\ ~l!Il\lS of \I ° III en I' ,,>s,'clalc.1 \\ Ilh I pO\crI, and lIluJcquall! (\<""" 10 cOllln>! ICIlIhl\
Fallllh plannlllg and educalloll art: laeklllf!
I anllhe~ rnr \\ IWIll ag.n.:nllllrc con,IIIU\(', Ihe I1Wlnr '''UfCC of mcollle arc among I c"Hh" .;
poor" 'I
I Jnclllpk" !lIcnl I, IIIg.h
In~I(..~i.1:-.c\11aIlJlcs!\11('!\"" II1.JJc..'quutl..' S~'~lit' .... t.:I\I~~~
, l\)n-;eql1cnccs
1 I )JI'f,culll III IlICcIIIIg. 10.1"" rlwd, Illc"ns Ih .. \ short Il'rm CXl'loltalJl)n \.1' the en\ Irnrlmenl t"k ... , prlOnll ,'YCI Ion!! tcnn prn\cctlun I Inadequate awareIlCSS \,1' long lenn
cnvlf()rtmcntal a':llL'lIs
l fOp ~ 11:1.1, ha\ c ,iecr('ased
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I
POPULATION
Socio-Economic Dimension
Charu':h,'nshcs of Ult: PO\t:rt\ 'l'l\\ Ifllnmcnt rclalH\I1shlp In [he ,llItl\ arc as
IrI~lItllllonal
l'rarn':ll (Ir).,
l tln .... etllJcn\!c~ 10 the ... lll(h arca"
'011 erosion j)c"lmm~ \ Icld
Ikclmlllll.:mplo~ ment and \\ages
j POOl hOIl'nng 0\ crCH'" dlllg e,accrhalc
tllS\:asc~
(In a\'CHI!!C on" 17",,, of tnlal hOIJ~cl1l1ld JUCl.lllll.' In rural art!a:-: IS tlcn\~J th.>lll agncuitllf{' and 11\ CSlOck nllm:r~ rcn\llk1ncc
t Hj','l\lInl", for Ilw n'nl!lilhl('r
SClbad for dcm".:rac\ In I cil'lhn I C I~"yal ".,lIP 111<1111 \ curs IIndcr Ihe ',llIbtM\
I )J\t!) SJ(Hl Ill' resources to the'rluhtan
I'II(H Il1\eslmcnl dllnal,'. In" or l'lUflSIll Jl:\cnu ... ,.
J)lSruPIIIlIl "I' 1 .. :alll1 and ",ducat"", ",'nlce, DI'fIIptl"n of o;e"J1('Il1JC actl\ Itv
NillIl1nal anJ mtcroatH'nlll rcso'lIfcl" JI\ erk.! III ClllcletCIICIC'l.e dlllug,hl rellcf Cle
ENVIRONMENT
Incrcaslnt! prc"lIfe on marglllallands 111 , I hahong & Phuli", \l\cfe\plollallllrl 01 solis
1I11. .. ",omu Ihl'n:lIl1mg ni'\\ood III KllIlsanc, "' l'l ~ral Ul!! Jlld "HI CII'SIl"l III
oIl the SluJ\ JfCJS
Incrca" .. 'tl IIse 01 pcslh:llks
i Irhalll,at1l1n Imlllslfl,,1 1\ asle dUJl!l<'fS.
IlJllhlcms (,r ".11<'1 'lIl'pl~ "11l1 'Jllllalloll
... ·f!\l\!S "'l'liIl dl\ 1'1"11 . rrc'ill"Jll slnke, 1'.,It""al unrest slrUl?gles l'l<:t\\l:cl1 (IIth-renl Idcnl')gll.'s and lnshtlliJon