HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management Practices on Haramaya Town, East

Hararghe

Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

MA/MSC Research Proposal

By

Ame Dina

College: Social Sciences and Humanities

School: Geography and Environmental Studies

Program: Urban and Regional Development Planning

Major Advisor: Abenezer Wakuma (PH.D)

Co-Advisor: Tegegn Sishaw (PH.D)

December 2023

Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................4
1.1 Background of study.............................................................................................................4
1.2 Statement of Problem.................................................................................................................6
1.3. Objectives of the Study..............................................................................................................8
1.3.1. General Objective of Study................................................................................................8
1.3.2. Specific objectives of the study..........................................................................................8
1.4. Research Questions....................................................................................................................8
1.5. Scope of the Study.....................................................................................................................8
1.6. Significance of the Study...........................................................................................................8
1.7. Organization of the Study.........................................................................................................9
2 LITERATURE REVIEW...............................................................................................................9
2.1. Conceptual definitions of solid waste.......................................................................................9
2.2. Solid-waste management.........................................................................................................10
2.2.1. Municipal solid waste management.................................................................................10
2.2.2. Sources and types of municipal solid waste....................................................................11
2.2.3. Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste.......................................................................12
2.3. Solid waste generation rate.....................................................................................................12
2.4. Functional elements of Municipal solid waste.......................................................................13
2.5. Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management.................................................................15
2.6. Importance of Municipal Solid Waste Management.............................................................17
2.7. Goals and Principles of MSWM.............................................................................................17
2.8. The Challenges of Solid Waste Management.........................................................................18
2.9. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries............................................19
2.9.1 Constraints of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries.............19
2.10. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Ethiopia................................................................22
2.11. Household Solid waste Situation in Haramaya....................................................................22
2.12. Challenges of household solid waste management..............................................................23
2.13. Impacts of Poor Solid Waste Management..........................................................................23
2.14. Some solutions for improve household solid waste management.......................................25
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................26
 3.1. Description of the Study Area.................................................................................................26
3.1.1. Location.............................................................................................................................26
3.2. Research Design.......................................................................................................................27
3.3. Sources of Data........................................................................................................................27
3.4. Sample Size and Sampling Techniques..................................................................................28
3.5. Data Analysis............................................................................................................................28
REFERENCE.....................................................................................................................................29
 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
The collection, storage, transportation, processing, treatment, recycling, and ultimate disposal
of waste are all included in solid waste management (SWM). Systems should be equitable,
offering collection services to both wealthy and impoverished households, and they should be
straightforward, reasonably priced, and sustainable in terms of finances, the environment, and
society. Accordingly, SWM necessitates the provision and upkeep of sufficient infrastructure
for all activities (Alemayehu et al., 2017).

The estimated quantity of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated worldwide is 1.7–1.9
billion metric tons per year making cities a threat to the environment(UNEP, 2018). It is also
expected to increase approximately to 2.2 billion metric tons per year by 2025(Mohammed et
al., 2017).

Solid waste management (SWM) has been a big challenge to both the developed and
developing countries over the world. It is estimated that more than 3.5 billion or more than
52% of the World population does not have access to the most elementary waste management
services like sound waste collection and removal out of the residential areas and at least a
controlled disposal. (Alemayehu et al., 2017).

Urbanization has been accelerating in the 21st century, resulting in the virtual transformation
of the world into a network of cities and towns facing similar environmental challenges, the
majority of which require international attention(Graham and Craig B. Fryhl, 2011).

Among those environmental issues solid waste management is a critical one because as long
as humans have been living in settled communities, solid waste generation has been an
unavoidable and critical issue both in developed and developing nations. As a result, solid
waste management became a worldwide agenda at united nation conference on environment
and development in Rio de janeiro in 1992 with a great emphasis on reducing wastes and
maximizing environmentally sound waste reuse and recycling at first step in waste
management (Nkwachukwu et al., 2010).
In most of the cities of the developing countries, government and local city councils have a
mandate for the proper management of the municipal solid waste from collection to disposal
(Gilbert et al., 2021). It has been reported in recent years that numerous developing countries
have made progress in improving their municipal solid waste management practices
(Collivignarelli and Sorlini, 2004). However, adequate management of municipal solid waste
is not achieved due to low financial resources and limited technical capacities. Inadequate
waste management is contributing to bad urban governance and major environmental risk.

Poor management of municipal solid waste may result to in consequences such as pollution,
low aesthetic values and economic losses due to failures in recycling and composting valuable
components of the municipal solid waste. Improper management of municipal solid waste
may result in serious urban, sanitary and environmental problems such as unpleasant odor,
risk of explosion in landfill areas, as well as groundwater contamination because of leachate
percolation (Tyagi et al., 2014) .

While developing countries like Ethiopia are still grappling with the issue of proper solid
waste management, developed countries are able to manage the various types of waste to an
acceptable level. In most Ethiopian cities, municipal solid waste collection, transportation,
and disposal have become significant issues due to the current rate of urbanization. Because
the generation of residential, commercial, and industrial waste is a diffuse process that occurs
in every home, building, and commercial and industrial facility as well as in the streets, parks,
and even in the vacant areas available within the community, collecting municipal solid waste
in most cities is challenging and complex (Tyagi et al., 2014).

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is one of the basic services that are receiving
wide attention in many towns of Ethiopia. This is mainly because SWs that are generated in
most towns of Ethiopia are not appropriately handled and managed (Abrhame, 2018).

From major towns of Ethiopia Haramaya is one of the town by which proper provision of
Municipal solid waste management practice is still unsatisfactory and incomplete.

In Haramaya illegal dumping of waste on open areas, street, ditches and river courses is
considered as routine task of residents. The efforts made by the municipality to change the
situation in the town are also insufficient as it compared to the extent of the problem. Thus the
study is hoped to provide some information to policy makers, donors, and environmental
protection practitioners who are interested to assist financial, training and legal provision
which in turn minimize the constraints of MSWM activities.

1.2 Statement of Problem

The rate of urbanization and population growth across the African continent are concerning
rising, according to UNESCO. However, there is a lack of the technology, technical expertise,
financial resources, community understanding, and culture needed to manage solid wastes
effectively. The problems of generally low sanitation levels across the African continent,
including Ethiopia, are exacerbated by urbanization with inadequate waste management
practices, specifically, widespread disposal of waste in water bodies, dumping inside the road,
and uncontrolled dump sites (Alemayehu et al., 2017).

The developing nations like Ethiopia which are still struggling to deal with the problem of
proper management of solid wastes. With the current rate of urbanization municipal solid
waste collection, transportation and disposal have been a major problem of municipalities in
most of the Ethiopian cities. Collection of municipal solid waste in most of the cities is
difficult and complex because the generation of residential, commercial and industrial waste
is a diffuse process that takes place in every house, every building and every commercial and
industrial facility as well as in the streets, parks and even in the vacant areas available within
the community. In addition to this hilly terrain of many cities, lack of manpower and
equipment and financial constraints are factors which aggravate the problem(Tyagi et al.,
2014).

Haramaya town is characterized by rapid population growth caused by natural increase and
migration. According to 1994 national census report, the town had 8560 total populations
while in 2007 national census it reached 15,317. Such rapid increase in population together
with rapid development of the town has produced increasing volumes of solid waste and in
turn it induced greater infrastructural demand, institutional setup and community participation
for its management.

Haramaya town as other towns of Ethiopia has poor solid waste management practice, which
is one of the major problem that affect both human and the surroundings. Most of solid waste
are generated in the town remain uncollected and simply dumped on open areas, roads sides,
and in ditches. For example, due to lack of adequate public toilets, residents use the
surrounding open spaces, roadsides, open drainages and around fences for open defection.
Households also use to dump their wastes either solid or liquid in the open drainages and any
open spaces. Most of the time, this waste disposal practices causes floods in the town,
especially, during the rainy seasons. In view of this, it is worthwhile to assess the practices
and the factors affecting solid waste management in the town.

Solid waste, which is a consequence of day-to-day activities of society, needs to be managed

properly. Haramaya, like other cities in developing countries, faces problems associated with
poorly managed solid waste operations. While cities are generating an ever-increasing volume
of waste, the effectiveness of their solid waste collection, and disposal systems are declining.

However, studies conducted in most major towns and cities of Ethiopia indicated that SWs
that are generated are not appropriately handled and managed, mainly due to institutional,
regulatory, financial, technical and public participation problems(Yeballework, 2014);Tyagi et
al., 2014);Mohammed et al., 2017);(Abrhame, 2018);(Kedir, 2019)Temesgen et al., 2022);
(Temesgen et al., 2022).

Therefore, this thesis is intended to fill the current research gap related to the motive why the
MSWM practice is inefficient and unorganized way in the town and households dispose their
wastes improperly, context specific factors of the study area. In addition, most of the studies
have conducted at the regional level and sub cities of Ethiopia. So that, this work contribute
to fill the research gap on SWM existed at Town level and the existing management practice
of solid waste. In addition this study is timely to find the problem of MSWM practice of the
town with request focus on household and tried to improve MSWM practice of the town.

Therefore, it is possible to minimize and solve these problems in our towns/cities through
strict planning and implementing different MSW components and options. But planning
comprehensive SWM program requires understanding the existing SWM practices and
problems in towns/cities. The major objective of this study will be to assess the existing SWM
practices at HHs and municipality level and SWM problems of Haramaya town.
1.3. Objectives of the Study
1.3.1. General Objective of Study
The overall objective of this study is aimed at assessing municipal solid waste management
Practices in Haramaya Town.

1.3.2. Specific objectives of the study

1. To describe the generation rate of solid waste level in the town.

2. To assess the existing management practices of solid waste in the Haramaya town.

3. Analyze the factors that affect the MSWM in the Haramaya Town

4. To describe the impact of solid waste generation in the Haramaya town

5. To suggest feasible solutions in order to improve SWM practices in the town.

1.4. Research Questions

 What is the generation rate of solid waste level in Haramaya town?
 What is existing management practices of solid waste in Haramaya town?
 What causes of municipal solid waste management in town?
 What is the consequences of solid waste generation in haramaya town?
 How to improve solid waste management practices in haramaya town?

1.5. Scope of the Study

The spatial scope of the study have delimit to some select sample kebeles in the urban area of
Haramaya Town. Contextually, the study focuses on the municipal solid waste management
practices with due focus to household solid waste. Industrial and other construction and
demolition related solid waste management practices have not been treated in this study.
Liquid as well as gas waste management practices have also not been part the objectives of
the study because of lack of time and money, and also make to deal with data that could be
handled and managed properly.

1.6. Significance of the Study

This study have several significances. In the first place, the studies will provide significant
information for the town administration to evaluate their solid waste management practice and
it may also bring functional solutions or strategies for addressing the problems. Secondly, the
residents of the town can make use of the findings of the study through improved solid waste
management practices and policy makers, solid waste managers and environmental protection
agencies of the town can make use of the findings of the study through improved solid waste
management practices. Thirdly, it gives some guide line information to the municipal and
other solid waste management personnel and environmental protection agencies about the
existing situation of municipal solid waste management of Haramaya town. The findings of
the study may also be important input for other researchers who would like to conduct
detailed and comprehensive studies either in Haramaya or other study areas.

1.7. Organization of the Study

The research report is structured in five chapters. The first chapter consists of introduction,
the statement of the problem being focused, objectives of the study, research questions,
significance of the study, and organization of the thesis and definition of terms. The second
chapter is concerned with the review of different researches and related literature dealing with
the assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management. In the third chapter methodologies
used in conducting the study and also describes of the study area, research design, data
sources, sample size and sampling procedures and methods of data collection instruments,
data collection procedures, methods of data analysis.
 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Conceptual definitions of solid waste
Solid waste (SW) is defined as materials that people throw away, find undesirable, or decide
are useless. These materials are composed of both organic (which degrades easily) and
inorganic (which degrades more slowly, such as metals, plastics, bottles, and broken glasses)
materials. They are non-liquid, non-hazardous, and non-gaseous. According to Abrhame
(2018) solid waste is made up of materials that come from homes, businesses, institutions,
marketplaces, and industries.

In Ethiopia, according to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Proclamation No.

513/2007, Solid Waste Management Proclamation, “Solid Waste” means anything that is
neither liquid not gas and is discarded as unwanted. The ever increasing amount of solid
waste 7 generated which is exacerbated by lack of proper waste management system is of
growing environmental and public health concern worldwide and in major towns and cities of
Ethiopia (Bloom and Reenen, 2013).

2.2. Solid-waste management

The collecting, treating, and disposing of solid material that is discarded because it has served
its purpose or is no longer useful. Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create
unsanitary conditions, and these conditions in turn can lead to pollution of
the environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne disease that is, diseases spread
by rodents and insects. The tasks of solid-waste management present complex technical
challenges. They also pose a wide variety of administrative, economic, and social problems
that must be managed and solved.

In Ethiopia according to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Proclamation No.

513/2007, Solid Waste Management Proclamation "Solid Waste Management" means the
collection, transportation, storage, recycling or disposal of solid waste, or the subsequent use
of a disposal site that is no longer operational (Abrhame, 2018).

2.2.1. Municipal solid waste management

Using the principles of economy, aesthetics, energy conservation, and preservation, MSW
management includes the planning, engineering, organization, administration, financial, and
legal aspects of activities related to generation, growth, storage, collection, transport,
processing, and disposal in a way that is environmentally compatible (Jha et al., 2011).

According to Salati( n.d.)"Municipal Solid Waste" includes commercial and domestic wastes
generated in a municipal or notified area in either solid or semi-solid form excluding
industrial hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical wastes. Solid waste also
includes hazardous waste generated by various industries. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) can
further be classified into biodegradable waste (such as food and kitchen waste); recyclable
materials (such as paper, glass, bottles, metals and certain plastics) and domestic hazardous
waste (such as medication, chemicals, light bulbs and batteries).

2.2.2. Sources and types of municipal solid waste

In order to categorize what exactly municipal solid waste constitutes, there have been
different attempts of categorization based on numerous classification criteria. Some of those
criteria are sources from which solid wastes emanate, and nature of solid waste components.
On the basis of the nature of items that constitute solid wastes, it can be classified into organic
or inorganic, combustible or non-combustible, and putrescible or non-putrescible.

With respect to source from which solid waste emanates, categorized municipal solid waste as
household (residential) refuse, institutional wastes, street sweepings, commercial areas
wastes, as well as construction and demolition debris. In developing countries, MSW also
contains various amounts of industrial wastes from small scale industries. In these sources
there are diverse types of solid wastes. But, some of typical solid wastes of those sources are
described by(Abrhame, 2018) as follows:

Domestic solid wastes: wastes generated from household activities such as food preparation,
cleaning, fuel burning, old cloths, furniture, obsolete utensils and equipment, packaging,
newsprint, and garden wastes. In developing countries, food waste and ashes dominate
households’ solid wastes.

Commercial wastes: waste from shops, offices, hotels, restaurants, etc. and typically
consisting packaging materials, office supplies and food wastes. In low income countries food
markets contribute the largest proportion of commercial waste.
Institutional wastes: waste from schools, hospitals, clinics, government offices, military
bases etc., and comprise hospital and clinical wastes including potentially infectious and
hazardous materials. Industrial wastes: composition of industrial waste depends on the kind of
industries involved. It consist food waste from kitchens, and canteens, packaging materials,
plastics, papers, metal items and chemicals.

Street sweepings: dust, soil, paper, etc. In developing countries street sweeping also include
fruit and vegetable residues, household wastes dumped along roads, drain cleanings, animal
manure and plant remains.

Construction and demolition wastes: its composition depends on type of construction

materials used, but it typically includes soil, brick, stone, concrete, ceramic materials, wood,
packaging materials and the like.

2.2.3. Characteristics of Municipal Solid Waste

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a term usually applied to a heterogeneous collection of
wastes produced in urban areas, the nature of which varies from region to region. The
characteristics and quantity of the solid waste generated in a region is not only a function of
the living standard and lifestyle of the region's inhabitants, but also of the abundance and type
of the region's natural resources (Abrhame, 2018).

For effective and efficient management of solid waste generated in a particular city, adequate
knowledge and data about the characteristics of solid waste is essential. In order to decide or
determine types of facilities required for solid waste management, best disposal options, and
projecting future needs requires precise information about quantities, compositions, densities,
moisture content and calorific value of solid waste produced in a city (Abrhame, 2018).
Though all the above characteristics are important, for this study the researcher emphasize
only on municipal solid waste physical composition and generation rate.

2.3. Solid waste generation rate

Solid waste generation rate refers to the “amount of waste disposed during a given period of
time and the quantification of it involves different methods: by measurement at the point of
generation, through use of vehicle survey and by examination of records at the disposal
facility” (Mohammed et al., 2017). The rate of solid waste generated in a given town is
basically determined by demographic growth, seasonal variation, geographic location,
economic development and people’s attitude towards waste. Birhanu( 2015) explained the
influence of economic development by comparing gross national product of developed and
developing countries with their waste generation rate. He concludes that the higher the gross
national product of a country result the higher the generation of waste. It means due to
difference in level economic performance, waste generation rate of developed countries is
highly greater than that of developing countries. Although developing countries have a lower
rate of waste generation compared to developed countries, their quantum of waste is high
owing to their higher levels of population growth. This clearly shows impact of population
size on waste generation rate (Birhanu, 2015). On the other hand, people’s attitude towards
waste can also conditioned solid waste generation rate in the form of their pattern of material
use and waste handling, their interest in waste reduction and minimization, and the degree to
which they refrain from indiscriminate dumping and littering waste (Abrhame, 2018).

2.4. Functional elements of Municipal solid waste

The activities associated with the management of municipal solid wastes from the point of
generation to final disposal can be grouped into the six functional elements:

Table 2: Functional elements of Municipal Solid Waste

Functional element Description

Waste generation Waste generation encompasses those activities in

which materials are identified as no longer being
of value and are either thrown away or gathered
together for disposal. What is important in waste
generation is to note that there is an identification
step and that this step varies with each individual.
Waste generation is, at present, an activity that is
not very controllable.

Waste handling and separation, storage, and Waste handling and separation involve the
processing at the source activities associated with managing wastes until
 they are placed in storage containers for collection.
Handling also encompasses the movement of
loaded containers to the point of collection.
Separation of waste components is an important
step in the handling and storage of solid waste at
the source. On-site storage is of primary
importance because of public health concerns and
aesthetic considerations

Collection Collection includes both the gathering of solid

wastes and recyclable materials and the transport
of these materials, after collection, to the location
where the collection vehicle is emptied, such as a
materials-processing facility, a transfer station, or
a landfill

Transfer and transport The functional element of transfer and transport

involves two steps: (1) the transfer of wastes from
the smaller collection vehicle to the larger
transport equipment, and (2) the subsequent
transport of the wastes, usually over long
distances, to a processing or disposal site. The
transfer usually takes place at a transfer station.
Although motor vehicle transport is most common,
rail cars and barges are also used to transport
wastes.

Separation, processing, and transformation of The means and facilities that are now used for the
solid waste recovery of waste materials that have been
separated at the source include curbside collection
and drop-off and buyback centers. The separation
 and processing of wastes that have been separated
at the source and the separation of commingled
wastes usually occurs at materials recovery
facilities, transfer stations, combustion facilities,
and disposal sites.

Disposal Today, disposal by landfilling or land spreading is

the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they
are residential wastes collected and transported
directly to a landfill site, residual materials from
MRFs, residue from the combustion of solid
waste, compost, or other substances from various
solid waste processing facilities. A modern
sanitary landfill is not a dump. It is a method of
dis-posing of solid wastes on land or within the
earth’s mantle without creating public health
hazards or nuisances.

2.5. Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management

Incineration

Incineration is one option for sustainable solid waste management. It is defined as the process
of burning solid waste under controlled conditions to reduce weight and volume of solid
waste, and often to produce energy. This process is really waste reduction, not waste disposal,
though following incineration ash must still be disposed. It is recognized as a practical method
of disposing of certain hazardous waste materials (such as medical waste). Incineration can be
carried out both on a small scale by individuals and on a large scale by industry. Generally,
according to Nanda and Berruti(2021) there are considerations that we should keep in our
mind when we want to choose incineration. These are: The necessary environmental controls
are properly installed and maintained. The facility is properly sized and sited to fit well with
other components of the MSWM The material to be burned is combustible and has sufficient
energy content.

Composting

It is a process of allowing biological decomposition of solid organic materials by bacteria,

fungi, worms, insects, and other organisms in to a soil for transforming large quantities of
organic materials to compost (humus like materials). “The organic materials produced by
composting can be added to soil to supply plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium, iron, sulfur, and calcium, slow soil erosion, make clay soils more porous or 17
increase water holding capacity of sandy soils” (Hettiarachchi et al., 2018).There are three
scales at which composting has been implemented; residential level, decentralized community
level, and centralized and large scale municipality level. The larger the undertaking the more
capital investment is required. Most developing countries which have found success with
composting revealed that composting works best when implemented at household level, with
some project doing well at community level as well. At municipal level financial commitment
required to maintain equipment has resulted in wide spread failures (Alemayehu et al., 2017).
Generally, composting has many advantages; first it would reduce amount of waste requiring
ultimate disposal and extending the life of landfills. When it done correctly the end result
becomes a useful product, capable of being used at household or farm level to augment soil
nutrient levels and increase organic matter in the soil, increasing soil stability. If the product
has high enough quality and markets exist, it can be sold. Environmentally, process of
composting is preferable than landfill processes. In a landfill, bacteria break down organics
anaerobically (in absence of oxygen) and resulted in release of methane gas. However, in
composting organic matter is decomposed using an aerobic process and produces no methane
by product.

Reuse and recycle

Reuse involves cleaning and using materials over and over. In other words, it means the use
of a product more than once in its original form for the same or a new purpose. It relays on
items that can be used over and over instead of throw away items. This method is used to
decrease the use of matter and energy resources, cuts pollution, creates local jobs, and saves
money “Reusing is more efficient and better than recycling and composting methods because
cleaning and reusing materials in their present form avoids the cost of energy for remaking
them in to something else”(Orner et al., 2020).

Recycling is both environmental and economic issue. Many peoples are motivated to recycle
because of environmental concern i.e. it reduces pollution, it also save energy, space and
resources, helps to protect biodiversity and reduce litter. Economically, it can save money for
items like paper metals and some plastics, and generally it is important part of economy.
However there are also some critics forwarded on recycling dominantly on economic aspect
of its benefits. Economists say that recycling does not make sense if it costs more to recycle
materials than to send them to a landfill or incineration. They also forwarded that recycling is
often not needed to save landfill space because many areas are not running out of it
(Abrhame, 2018) .

2.6. Importance of Municipal Solid Waste Management

According to Maity( 2018) waste management is one of the most visible of urban services.
These services are a major employer and consume a large proportion of the operational
revenue of a city or municipality. As such, an effective and sustainable waste management
service goes hand-in-hand with good local governance and sound municipal management. In
line with this Maity (2018) stated that the purpose of waste management is not only to reduce
the effects of the waste on the environment and human health but also to recapture resources
from the waste. Solid waste management is a process of managing the activities of waste
generation, storage, collection, transfer and transportation to, the final disposal site and care
taken to consequences of disposal. However; in developed countries the management of
commercial and industrial wastes is usually the responsibility of the generator. The focus of
solid waste management in recent decade has been to reduce waste materials effect on the
environment and, to recover resources from them(Abrhame, 2018). Municipal solid waste
management (MSWM) is a major responsibility of local governments, typically consuming
between 20percent and 50percent of municipal budgets in developing countries. It is a
complex task which depends as much upon organization and cooperation between
households’ communities, private enterprises and municipal authorities as it does upon the
selection and application of appropriate technical solutions for waste collection, transfer,
recycling and disposal. Furthermore, waste management is an essential task which has
important consequences for public health and well-being, the quality and sustainability of the
urban environment and the efficiency and productivity of the urban economy (Jha et al.,
2011).

2.7. Goals and Principles of MSWM

The first goal of MSWM is to protect the health of the urban population, particularly that of
low-income groups who suffer most from poor waste management. Secondly, MSWM aims
to promote environmental conditions by controlling pollution (including water, air, soil and
cross media pollution) and ensuring the sustainability of ecosystems in the urban region.
Thirdly, MSWM supports urban economic development by providing demanded waste
management services and ensuring the efficient use and conservation of valuable materials
and resources. Fourthly, MSWM aims to generate employment and incomes in the sector
itself. To achieve the above goals, it is necessary to establish sustainable systems of solid
waste management which meet the needs of the entire urban population, including the poor.
The essential condition of sustainability implies that waste management systems must be
absorbed and carried by the society and its local communities. These systems must, in other
words, be appropriate to the particular circumstances and problems of the city and locality,
employing and developing the capacities of all stakeholders, including the households and
communities requiring service, private sector enterprises and workers (both formal and
informal), and government agencies at the local, regional and national levels.

2.8. The Challenges of Solid Waste Management

Waste generation increases with population expansion and economic development.
Improperly managed solid waste poses a risk to human health and the environment.
Uncontrolled dumping and improper waste handling causes a variety of problems, including
contaminating water, attracting insects and rodents, and increasing flooding due to blocked
drainage canals or gullies. In addition, it may result in safety hazards from fires or explosions.
Improper waste management also increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which
contribute to climate change. Planning for and implementing a comprehensive program for
waste collection, transport, and disposal along with activities to prevent or recycle waste can
eliminate these problems (Esakku et al., 2003).

Urban centers in Ethiopia are encountering a notable issue concerning the handling and
disposal of domestic solid waste, primarily due to the swift rise in population and urban
development (Taye et al., 2023). Ethiopia, as a nation with a limited income, is presently
encountering challenges in the effective management of solid waste.

2.9. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries

The rapid extent and nature of urbanization in developing countries made MSWM as a major
issue of concern in those countries. “In the next 35 years, the urban population of world is
expected to be double to more than five billion people, and from this 90% of growth is taking
place in developing countries” (Ullah et al., 2022). As a result of this, the existing MSWM of
developing countries fail to catch up with the rapid increase of solid waste production in these
countries. To report identified “one third to one half of solid waste generated with in most
cities in low and middle income countries are not collected, rather it ends up as illegal dumps
on streets, open spaces, and sewerage systems, and contribute to spread of diseases”(Graham
and Craig B. Fryhl, 2011).

The operational inefficiency of MSWM in developing countries is also further reflected in

resource recovery. Although the material recovery from the waste stream has a great potential
in economic as well as environmental point of view, municipality and formal private sector
contribution in this activities is minimum. Besides this, waste disposal is also a neglected area
in many low income countries and causes for environmental health hazards. Most of
municipal solid wastes in developing countries are dumped on land in a more or less
uncontrolled manner. These dumps make very uneconomical use of the available space, allow
free access to waste pickers, animals and flies and often produce unpleasant and hazardous
smoke from slow-burning fires (Abrhame, 2018).
2.9.1 Constraints of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries
As it is noted earlier a typical solid waste management system in a developing country
displays an array of problems including low collection coverage and irregular collection
services, and crude open dumping and burning without air and water pollution control. These
problems are caused by various factors which constrain development of effective municipal
solid waste management systems. They can be categorized into technical, financial,
institutional, social constraints, and awareness and attitudes (Spoann et al., 2018). Each of
these constraints is discussed as follow:

Human and technical constraints in most developing countries

There is lack of human resources and technical expertise both at national and local levels.
Many officers in charge of municipal solid waste management, particularly at the local level,
have little or no technical background or training in engineering or management (Spoann et
al., 2018). This is a main reason for lack of comprehensive waste management planning in
developing countries. Furthermore, collection and analysis of solid waste data are generally
not given sufficient attention. As a result, there are few opportunities for waste management
administrators to become experts and to formulate and implement waste management plans
that are tailored to the actual situation in their country. This in turn makes it extremely
difficult to license or develop technologies that are best suited to the local conditions

This lack of research and development activities in developing countries leads to selection of
inappropriate technology in terms of local climatic 24 and physical conditions, financial and
human resource capabilities, and social or cultural acceptability. “Several guides or manuals
on appropriate solid waste management technologies in developing countries are available in
the literature, and selection of technology could be made sometimes based on these guides.
However, in most cases these guides must be modified to local conditions prevailing in the
country, and therefore local studies are normally still needed” (Spoann et al., 2018).

Financial constraints

MSWM is given low priority in developing countries; as a result, very limited funds are
allocated to the sector by government. This problem is acute at the local government level
where local revenue collection system is inadequately developed and financial base for public
service including MSWM is weak. In addition to limited funds, many local governments in
developing countries lack good financial management and planning. For instance, “in a
developing country town over 90% of annual budget provided for solid waste management
was used up within first six months. Lack of financial management and planning, particularly
cost accounting depletes limited resources available for the sector even more quickly and
causes solid waste management services to halt for some periods, thus losing trust of service
users”(Yusuf Sukman, 2017).

Institutional constraints

The waste management regime in developing countries is seldom integrated, and there is
often no clear assignment of responsibilities and schedules among the organizations involved.
Furthermore, there is often no umbrella organization to coordinate overlapping
responsibilities for waste management that involve more than one agency. This situation not
only hinders effective implementation of waste management operations, but also produces
confusion in relation to technical cooperation and assistance projects among donors. Along
with these organizational and structural problems, lack of an effective legal system and
technical standards constitute a major constraint.

Social constraints

Social status of solid waste management workers is generally low both in developed and
developing countries, but more severe in developing countries than developed countries. Such
people's perception leads workers to disrespect their work and in turn produces poor quality of
their work. At dump sites, transfer stations, and street refuse bins, waste picking or
scavenging activities are common scenes in developing countries. People involved have not
received school education and vocational training to obtain knowledge and skills required for
other jobs. They are also affected by limited employment opportunity available in formal
sector. The existence of waste pickers creates often an obstacle to the operation of solid waste
collection and disposal services. However, if organized properly their activities can be
effective in waste management system. Such an opportunistic approach is required for
sustainable development of solid waste management programs in developing countries
(Teshome, 2021).

Awareness and attitudes

Public awareness and attitudes to waste can affect the whole municipal solid waste
management system. All steps in municipal solid waste management starting from household
waste storage, to waste segregation, recycling, collection frequency, willingness to pay for
waste management services and opposition to sitting of waste treatment and disposal facilities
depend on public awareness and participation. Thus, lack of public awareness and school
education about the importance of proper solid waste management for health and well-being
of people severely restricts use of community based approaches in developing countries and
also crucial factor for failure of a MSWM service in developing countries (Debrah et al.,
2021).

2.10. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Ethiopia

Solid waste management is becoming a major public health and environmental concern in
urban areas of Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, like developing countries, increase of solid waste
generation is resulted from rapid urbanization and population booming. “The average solid
waste generation rate is about 0.221kg per person per day and it is also estimated that only 2
percent of the population received solid waste collection services” (Teshome, 2021). This
shows that the operational condition of MSWM service and efforts made to change the
situation are low. As a result, small proportions of the urban dwellers are served and large
quantity of solid waste left uncollected. “The public sector in Ethiopia is unable to deliver
services effectively, as result illegal dumping of solid waste along road sides and open areas is
a common practice due to inadequate supply of waste containers and longer distance to these
containers” (Tesseme et al., 2022).The involvement of private sectors are also very limited,
but currently a number of micro and small scale enterprises are emerging to participate in
primary solid waste collection i.e. collect garbage at source from households and transport it
to the municipal waste containers and transfer points. To sum up the real situation of MSWM
in Ethiopia indicates that the problem of solid waste cannot be solved only by mere effort of
municipal government, there should be large involvement of the private sectors in general and
participation of micro enterprises and community in particular.

2.11. Household Solid waste Situation in Haramaya

Quantity of household solid waste generated by the society is increasing from day to day; the
composition of waste is becoming more and more diversified, with increasing use of
packaging materials made of both paper and plastic (Food et al., 2023). Such collection and
disposal of solid waste is taking place improperly in the city. 15 Characteristically, in most
countries in Africa, solid waste has a high organic content making it a fertile medium for
pathogens to thrive and rarely sorted this makes recycling difficult however it's also more
hazardous to handle from source or generation point to final disposal.

Urban municipal solid waste is a fast growing problem driven by rapid urban population
growth which is generally at least twice the respective national population growth rate. This is
evidenced by the increasing illegal dump site, irregular collection of garbage, rising garbage
piles, dumps in city alleys/streets and residential area. Most cities and municipalities have
failed to cope with the increase growth of west production.

2.12. Challenges of household solid waste management

The basic challenges that faces the management of household solid wastes is that they consist
of complex mixtures and are frequently subjected to indifferent storage conditions resulting in
deterioration before collection and subsequent treatment (Yusuf Sukman, 2017). Major
problems facing in solid waste collection, transportation services and management in the town
include inefficiency of the transportation system due to lack of vehicle breakdowns;
inadequacy of collection vehicles; and inaccessibility of some waste sources, such as
unplanned undeveloped

Several reasons are given in order to explain the poor status of the solid waste management
programmers. A lack of financial and human resources as well as organizational inefficiency
within municipal bodies are said to cause a lot of trouble (Spoann et al., 2018). Transportation
arrangements are generally insufficient this is because of thein accessibility of proper vehicles
as well as the low productivity of the personnel.
Household solid waste management is the main problem of urban center because of
unplanned and under developed solid waste management infrastructure facilities especially in
town of developing country like Ethiopia. This leads to improper waste disposal and high
volume of uncollected solid wastes. A physical observation of waste storage containers in the
sampled communities revealed that most of the communal collection centers were not
disposed of frequently to the final disposal sites when these bins are in full capacity. This
attitude towards waste management is likely to make the respondents more prone to solid
waste related diseases. Studies revealed that the waste management companies had numerous
problems, the waste collected is in most cases not recycled.

2.13. Impacts of Poor Solid Waste Management

According to Nanda and Berruti( 2021), waste management has become serious
environmental and public health problem worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
Changing economic trends, greater expansion of urban agricultural and industrial activities
stimulated by rapid population growth produce solid and liquid wastes that pollute the
environment and destroy resources and complicate solid waste management on land mostly
enters the human body through the medium of contaminated food products or water, crops
and animals,. Land pollution can also damage terrestrial ecosystems, resulting in the
deterioration of the conservation on and amenity value of the environment. According to Awe
et al.,(2011) the following are some of the most important effects because of uncontrolled
solid waste disposal systems.

 Uncollected wastes cause blockage of drains, which result in flooding and unsanitary
conditions.

 Flies and Mosquitoes breed in some constituents of solid wastes, and flies are very
effective vectors that spread disease.

 Waste dumps are good shelter for rats. Rats consume and spoil food, spread disease,
damage electrical cables and other materials.

 Uncollected wastes degrade the urban environment, discouraging efforts to keep the
streets and
  Open places in a clean and attractive conditions.

 Dangerous items (such as broken glass, razor blades, needles and other healthcare
wastes, aerosol cans and potentially explosive containers) may pose risks of injury or
poisoning, particularly to children and people, who sort through waste.

 Waste items that are recycled without being cleaned effectively or sterilized can
transmit infection to later users.

 Polluted water (leach ate) flowing from waste dumps and disposal sites can causes
serious

 Pollution of water supplies.

 Waste that is treated or disposed of in unsatisfactory ways can cause a severe aesthetic
nuisance in terms of smell and appearance.

 Fires on disposal sites can cause major air pollution, causing illness and reducing
visibility, making disposal sites dangerously unstable, causing explosions of cans, and
possibly spreading to adjacent properties.

2.14. Some solutions for improve household solid waste management

Limit the use of plastic

The news often reports about animals that end up choking on plastic waste or marine life
getting stuck in plastic under water. These are signs that we must try and reduce the use of
plastic as much as possible in our daily life. Avoid buying plastic water bottles; instead, carry
your own water bottle whenever you step out.

Segregate the waste

Many countries do this and have managed to reduce wastes a great deal. We must emulate
the best practices and form healthful habits, since waste management at home is the need of
the hour. Segregate garbage into degradable and non-degradable waste. You can also create
compost at home with leftover food, fruit and vegetable peels etc. Waste segregation not only
makes the process of recycling much easier, but it will also help in maintaining a healthy and
clean surrounding.

Reduce the use of paper

Yes, we understand that using no paper at all requires a very high level of commitment
towards the environment. However, what you can do is use as little paper and paper products
in your home as possible. You can use cloth rags instead of paper towels in the kitchen.

Composting

Composting can reduce wastes by turning wet waste into fertilizers for plants. Besides, if you
have or are planning to grow your own garden, you will have homemade, eco-friendly,
chemical- free fertilizers to nourish your green babies.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Description of the Study Area
3.1.1. Location
Haramaya is located a town in Oromia Region, Ethiopia located in the Haro Maya district,
East Hararghe Zone. The town has a latitude and longitude of 9°24′N 42°01′E with an
elevation of 2047 meters above sea level. It is named from the Haramaya Lake that found in
the woreda. The word Haramaya is come from two Oromo language word's [Hara and Maya]
Hara means Lake and Maya means name of person so Haramaya means the 'lake of Maya'

Haramaya is 20 km North West of Harar, and 505 km far from Addis Ababa. It is located on
Lake Haramaya a seasonal freshwater lake which supports a population of flamingo, as well
as other birds. Haramaya town is the sub town of Maya city and haramaya town is divided in
to many kebeles

Population

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Haramaya has an estimated
total population of 15,317 of whom 7,796 are men and 7,521 are women. The 1994 national
census reported this town had a total population of 8,560 of whom 4,228 were males and
4,332 were females.

Topography

Topography of the district is generally characterized by gentle slope. Altitude of the district is
range from 1400-2340 meters above sea level. The highest point places in the district are Dof
and Jaldo. 60.1% of land are cultivatable, 2.3% are pasture land, 1.5% are forest and 36.1%
are degraded.

Climate

Climatically, the district falls within midland and lowland agro ecological zone. The mean
annual temperature is about 22°c with maximum temperature about 31°c and minimum
temperature about 12°c. The mean annual rain fall ranges between 700-1350mm³ (National
Metrology Agency NMA2015) (Figure 2). Based on the agro-climatologically classification,
Haramaya woreda has WoinaDega (wet and cool, 70%) and Kolla (dry and hot 30%) areas.
Haramaya district lies between 1900 to 2450 m.a.s.l. These altitudinal ranges gave the district
Dega5 and Woinadega6 agro-ecological zones. The mean annual rainfall is 74.1mm, with
mean annual temperature of 16.90c. The dry season, with relatively less than 30 mm of rain
fall per month, extends from October to February. The main autumn rain occurs from
September to November while the smaller spring rain occurs from March to May.

3.2. Research Design

The research design which will be use in this study is descriptive research design the fact that
a descriptive research design is used to describe the data and characteristic about what is
being study. Descriptive survey also enables to obtain the current information. It is also use in
fact finding study and helps to formulate certain principles and give solutions to the problems
concerning local or national issues. Descriptive survey method focuses on investigating the
current status, practice, the problem of institutional arrangement and capacity in assessment of
MSWM practices of Haramaya town Descriptive research design involves collecting
quantitative and qualitative information to describe the nature of the problem under study in
its current status.

3.3. Sources of Data

In this study, both primary and secondary data sources were utilized. Primary data for this
study will be collect from household survey, small micro enterprise key informant interviews
and field observations and field measurement .In addition to these secondary data would be
also collect from different sources. , journal articles, statistical abstracts, books, policy briefs,
study reports, theses and dissertations were among others as secondary data sources. These
sources of secondary information were obtain from the internet, university libraries,
institutions and organizations.

3.4. Sample Size and Sampling Techniques

In the study probability sampling methods will be employ. From among the probability
sampling, stratified and simple random techniques will be use to identify the respondents. In
simple random sampling of a given size all members of a frame are given an equal probability
of selection.

3.5. Data Analysis

Arc map 10.2 Software would be use to extract the map of the study area. The statistical
package for social sciences (SPSS) version 24 and Microsoft excel version 2007 will be use to
process the quantitative data. The quantitative data mainly obtain using close-ended
questionnaire will be analyze by simple descriptive statistics like percentage, frequency,
average and the result will be summarize in the form of table, graph and figures. The
qualitative data /perception, opinion, and attitude) mainly obtain using open ended
questionnaire and semi structured interview including the researcher’s observation will
analyze, describe and interpret in the form of narration
 REFERENCE

Abrhame, E. (2018). Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Management Practices: A case

Study of Bishoftu City Administration Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 93.
http://etd.aau.edu.et/bitstream/handle/123456789/13154/Endalkachew Abrhame.pdf?
sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Alemayehu, D. S., Regasa, M. S., Mengestie, B., and ... (2017). Household solid waste
management practice associated factors and service delivery performance of private solid
waste collectors in dire dawa city, eastern …. International Journal …, 6(10), 3–13.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bezatu-Alemu/publication/324345548_Household_
Solid_Waste_Management_Practice_Associated_Factors_and_Service_Delivery_Perfor
mance_of_Private_Solid_Waste_Collectors_in_Dire_Dawa_City_Eastern_Ethiopia/
links/5b38d47da6fdcc

Awe, F., Osadebe, C. O., Imoagene, E., Fashina, A. Y., Eniola, T. S., and Adeleke, E. O.
(2011). African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Vol. Pp, 5(2 SRC-
GoogleScholar FG-0), 143–148. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST

Birhanu, Y. (2015). Assessment of Solid Waste Management Practices and the Role of Public
Participation in Jigjiga Town, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. International Journal of
Environmental Protection and Policy, 3(5), 153.
https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150305.16
Bloom, N., and Reenen, J. Van. (2013). 済無 No Title No Title No Title. NBER Working
Papers, 10(3), 89. http://www.nber.org/papers/w16019

Collivignarelli, C., and Sorlini, S. (2004). AOPs with ozone and UV radiation in drinking
water: Contaminants removal and effects on disinfection byproducts formation. Water
Science and Technology, 49(4), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2004.0218

Debrah, J. K., Vidal, D. G., and Dinis, M. A. P. (2021). Raising awareness on solid waste
management through formal education for sustainability: A developing countries
evidence review. Recycling, 6(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling6010006

Esakku, S., Palanivelu, K., and Joseph, K. (2003). Assessment of Heavy Metals in a
Municipal Solid Waste Dumpsite. Workshop on Sustainable Landfill Management, 1999,
139–145.

Food, J. A., Resour, N., Gedefa, B., Fikadu, G., and Olika, G. (2023). Appropriate Disposal
Site Selection for Urban Solid Waste Management using Geospatial Technique : A Case
Study of Haramaya Block , Eastern Ethiopia. 1(1), 51–65.

Gilbert, N., Ziqiang, Y., and Hongzhi, M. (2021). Current situation of solid waste
management in East African countries and the proposal for sustainable management.
African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 15(1), 1–15.
https://doi.org/10.5897/ajest2020.2911

Graham, S., and Craig B. Fryhl. (2011). No 主観的健康感を中心とした在宅高齢者におけ

る 健康関連指標に関する共分散構造分析 Title.

Hettiarachchi, H., Meegoda, J. N., and Ryu, S. (2018). Organic waste buyback as a viable
method to enhance sustainable municipal solid waste management in developing
countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(11),
1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112483

Jha, A. K., Singh, S. K., Singh, G. P., and Gupta, P. K. (2011). Sustainable municipal solid
waste management in low income group of cities: A review. Tropical Ecology, 52(1),
123–121.

Kedir, A. K. (2019). Solid Waste Management Practices and Challenges: The Case of Halaba
 Town in Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 9(9), 14–24.
https://doi.org/10.7176/jees/9-9-03

Maity, D. S. K. (2018). Importance of Municipal Solid Waste Management. International

Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 5(5), 361–363.
https://doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.5.5.49

Mohammed, A., Elias, E., Science, E., and Ababa, A. (2017). solid waste management
environmental impacts in Addis Ababa city. Research Article, 4(1), 194–203.

Nanda, S., and Berruti, F. (2021). Municipal solid waste management and landfilling
technologies: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 19(2), 1433–1456.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-020-01100-y

Nkwachukwu, O. I., Chidi, N. I., and Charles, K. O. (2010).

81C71112F746523Fcd1Ea303a33208C0D0Ae. 1(5), 409–418.

Orner, K. D., Camacho-Céspedes, F., Cunningham, J. A., and Mihelcic, J. R. (2020).

Assessment of nutrient fluxes and recovery for a small-scale agricultural waste
management system. Journal of Environmental Management, 267, 1–30.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110626

Salati, A. Y. (n.d.). Solid Waste Management – a Conceptual Study. 1154–1162.

Spoann, V., Fujiwara, T., Seng, B., and Lay, C. (2018). Municipal solid waste management:
Constraints and opportunities to improve capacity of local government authorities of
Phnom Penh Capital. Waste Management and Research, 36(10), 985–992.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242x18785722

Taye, A., Assefa, E., and Simane, B. (2023). Analysis of practices and factors of solid waste
management among urban households of Addis Ababa city, Ethiopia. Environmental
Challenges, 100811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2023.100811

Temesgen, L. M., Mengistu, D. A., Mulat, S., Mulatu, G., Tolera, S. T., Berhanu, A., Baraki,
N., and Gobena, T. (2022). Occupational Injuries and Associated Factors Among
Municipal Solid Waste Collectors in Harar Town, Eastern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional
Study. Environmental Health Insights, 16. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786302221104025
Teshome, F. B. (2021). Municipal solid waste management in Ethiopia; the gaps and ways for
improvement. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 23(1), 18–31.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-020-01118-y

Tesseme, A. T., Vinti, G., and Vaccari, M. (2022). Pollution potential of dumping sites on
surface water quality in Ethiopia using leachate and comprehensive pollution indices.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-
10217-2

Tyagi, V., Fantaw, S., and Sharma, H. R. (2014). Municipal Solid Waste Management in
Debre Berhan City of Ethiopia. Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 4(5), 98–103.

Ullah, A., Shakeel, A., Ahmed, H. G. M. D., Naeem, M., Ali, M., Shah, A. N., Wang, L.,
Jaremko, M., Abdelsalam, N. R., Ghareeb, R. Y., and Hasan, M. E. (2022). Genetic basis
and principal component analysis in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown under water
deficit condition. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.981369

UNEP. (2018). Africa Waste Management Outlook: Summary for Decision-makers. UN

Environment, 1–8.

Yeballework, B. (2014). ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

THE CASE OF HAWASSA TOWN , SOUTHERN NATION , NATIONALITIES AND
PEOPLES REGIONAL STATE M . A Thesis. Haramaya University, May, 110.

Yusuf Sukman, J. (2017). «Эпидемиологическая безопасностьNo Title. Вестник

Росздравнадзора, 4(November), 9–15.