scholarly journals Fisherfolk’s Perception of and Attitude to Solid Waste Disposal: Implications for Health, Aquatic Resources, and Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Justice Mensah

The study explored fisherfolk’s perception and attitude in regard to solid waste disposal and the implications of these for public health, aquatic resources, and sustainable development (SD) in a Ghanaian fishing community. Qualitative data were obtained from 37 purposively targeted participants comprising 34 fisherfolk, an environmental health expert, a water and sanitation expert, and a fisheries and aquatic sciences expert through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data were analysed thematically guided by the most significant stories. While the fisherfolk perceived waste as useless and a nuisance, the experts saw it as a nuisance and/or resource. The fisherfolk did not sort their waste in line with best practices, nor were they willing to pay for waste collection services, citing poverty as the main reason. While most fisherfolk disposed of their waste into bins as approved, others did so onto the street, into the drains, lagoon, and sea. While the fisherfolk were aware that indiscriminate waste disposal led to diseases such as malaria and cholera, their perceptions of the effect of the same on aquatic resources were mixed. The fisherfolk’s conception and perception of waste led to attitudes, behaviours, and practices that polluted the environment (air, land, and water resources), resulting in public health challenges, a threat to navigation, fish population, and other biodiversity, which were inimical to livelihoods and sustainable development. The government and municipal authority should collaborate with the experts in environmental health, water and sanitation, fisheries and aquatic sciences, and traditional authorities to sensitise the fisherfolk on the sustainability implications of unapproved solid waste disposal practices to change their attitude for the better. They should also provide more waste disposal infrastructure and enforce the laws to ensure compliance with best practice for sustainable development. The study supports the compatibility and mutuality between Sustainable Development (SDG) 6 on water, sanitation, and hygiene and SDG 14 regarding sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

1969 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-65
Author(s):  
Donald A. Townley

This paper is expected to encourage the professional sanitarian to seriously consider problems related to solid waste disposal. It is divided into four specific parts: (a) solid waste disposal, a universal environmental health problem; (b) public awareness;(c) the Solid Waste Disposal Act; and (d) solid waste disposal–a challenge. The term “solid waste disposal” includes storage at the point of production, collection, and transportation to the point of ultimate disposal. Solid waste disposal is an important facet of most all environmental sanitation programs. Today the professional sanitarian knows that many diseases are spread by improper solid waste disposal. In addition, improper solid waste disposal adversely affects many aspects of the environment. Until quite recently, public interest in solid waste disposal was minimal. This interest currently is high and the public expects appropriate action on the part of someone. The Solid Waste Disposal Act is indicative of public interest and provides several areas for improving solid waste disposal practices of the nation. Solid waste disposal presents a challenge to the professional sanitarian, and provides him with a real opportunity to fill the void in today's solid waste disposal management.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 666-679
Author(s):  
A.A. Popoola ◽  
O.A. Ayangbile ◽  
B.M. Adeleye

Solid waste management has been part of human activities right from time. Effort by the Oyo State Government in managing the collection and disposal of waste generated in Ibadan is seen in the provision of Skip bins at specific locations across the city. However, despite the provisions made by the government, an emerging trend is the dumping of refuse along the median of some major and collector roads in the city. This study aims at emphasizing a planning framework for the location of solid waste disposal infrastructure (Skip bins) through the adoption of planning standard. The aim of this study was achieved by identifying the existing skip bins within Ibadan North. More so, a spatial analysis of skip bins and resident's access to solid waste facilities within Ibadan North was deduced. Geospatial techniques were used for this study; data from primary and secondary source were also used to corroborate the geospatial findings. The study identified a total of 37 skip bins located within Ibadan North Local Government, serving the entire Ibadan North. Spatial analysis of the skip bins revealed a clustered distribution which is consequential to indiscriminate solid waste disposal within Ibadan North.   The study recommends adequate provision and location of skip bins to contribute to a cleaner and safer environment and a design blue print for Ibadan North was proposed.Keywords: GIS, Median, Nearest Neighbour Analysis (NNA), Skip Bins


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-180
Author(s):  
Md Mainul Sk ◽  
Sk Ajim Ali ◽  
Ateeque Ahmad

AbstractThe government authorities in developing countries are awfully concerned with coping out the problems of the rising issues related to the disposal of solid wastes. Most of the Indian cities still dispose of solid waste unscientifically causing to severe environmental as well as public health problems. Geographic information systems (GIS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) have emerged as efficient tools for multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in effective solutions of solid waste management. The present study focuses on the integration of GIS and AHP in identifying potential sanitary landfill areas for solid waste disposal in Durgapur city, West Bengal, India. Eleven criteria were selected viz. land elevation, slope, soil, geology, land use land cover, distance to surface water, distance to tube wells, distance to roads, distance to industrial belts, distance to sensitive places, and land cost. All the criteria were aggregated using weighted overlay analysis in GIS environment. The study identified three potential landfill areas for MSW disposal covering the areas of 13.83854, 33.80678, and 27.20085 ha, respectively, in Durgapur city. The result found that land cost value was the most significant criterion in the model with a weight of 0.25258. Followed by land cost value, sensitive places and roads were the second and third most important criteria with a weight value of 0.1409 and 0.1233, respectively.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Odonkor ◽  
Tahiru Mahami

Air pollution has been a major challenge worldwide particularly in the developing world. Improper waste disposal and management may result in microbial air pollution. In advanced countries, landfill sites are far from neighborhoods; however, the opposite is observed for landfill sites in the developing world. In Accra, some landfill sites are 100 meters from neighborhoods. The aim of this study was to assess the microbial air quality and associated environmental health hazards of landfill sites in selected districts in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. A random sampling method was employed to select sampling sites across the dry and wet seasons from landfills and their corresponding neighborhoods. Results obtained showed a higher total count (CFU/m3) of bacteria and fungi in the air at the landfill sites than neighborhoods. Statistically significant variation p<0.05 in bacterial and fungal concentrations over two seasons was found for both landfills and neighborhoods. However, bacterial concentrations were significantly higher than fungal concentrations p<0.05 across seasons for all locations. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the highest (15.6 %) occurring microbe at both landfill sites and neighborhoods. This was followed by Staphylococcus aureus (12.7%). Other bacteria and fungi of public health importance such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger were also isolated from the study sites, above the WHO recommended levels. In conclusion, the landfill waste disposal and its close proximity to neighborhoods as observed in this study pose a potential environmental health risk, with dire implications for public health and safety. The government must enact and implement policies to regulate waste management and to ensure public safety.


2013 ◽  
Vol 864-867 ◽  
pp. 1874-1877
Author(s):  
Zhong Jun Fu ◽  
Rui Sun ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
Hao Fei Huang

A review on the sources, current status and related disposal technology of industrial hazardous waste (IHW) in domestic and overseas. The diverse and complicated sources of current solid waste were analyzed. Based on the current researches on the disposal technology and management of IHW, approaches for the development of the solid waste disposal technology was recommended. According to this research, the government should increase the investment to introduce advanced disposal technology and management from abroad, and improve the level of disposal facilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 1467-1473
Author(s):  
Donald I Kwun Omang ◽  
Godwin Egbe John ◽  
Simon Alain Inah ◽  
Jude Owan Bisong

Background: This study was conducted in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, to determine the public health implication of solid waste generated by households. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive design was employed, using a semi-structured questionnaire together with an obser- vation checklist to elicit information from the respondents. Proportionate sampling was used to select 400 respondents of 18 years and above for the study area. Data collected were analysed using the Microsoft Excel 2007 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20. Results: Respondents knowledge concerning solid waste disposal was assessed and the results showed that majority of the respondents 193 (63.7%) had high level of knowledge of solid waste disposal, while 170 (42.5%) had average level of knowl- edge of solid waste disposal. Wastes produced by households in the study include vegetables (95.5%), ash (94%), clothing/ rag (94.2%), wood (95%), and animal waste (86.2%) had the highest abundance. Diseases associated with these wastes pro- duced by households include cholera (18.2%), malaria (47.2%), lassa fever (10.7%) and diarrhea (23.9%) with malaria been the most prevalence infection. Conclusion: The result shows solid waste posed a serious health hazard and lead to the spread of infectious diseases. These issues can be addressed through health education and enlightenment of the people on waste disposal. Keywords: Municipal waste; public health; infection; health hazard; environmental pollution.


Author(s):  
Abuhuraira Ado Musa ◽  
Yusuf Muhammad Abdullahi ◽  
Maryam Dahiru Umar ◽  
Shehu Bello ◽  
Faisal Muhammad

Background: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of solid waste disposal among residents of the Husuren-Kwari community in Kano, Nigeria.Methods: A non-experimental descriptive survey research design was adopted and data were obtained from June to October 2019. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 45 households as the samples. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences software.Results: In this study, more than half (53.3%) of the respondents were ≥36 years and 80.0% of them were males. About 42.2% of the respondents had a secondary level of education and 44.4% of the respondents were farmers. Close nine-tenths (88.9%) of the respondents agreed that proper waste disposal is any means that we can get rid of unwanted materials and 84.4% know the local method of disposing of waste. Only 24.4% of the respondents were aware of the modern methods of solid waste disposal. Little above half (51.1%) of the respondents were using the burning method to dispose of the waste, and close to half (46.7%) of the respondents were dumping the waste in front of the house.Conclusions: The finding reported a poor level of knowledge, negative attitude, and poor level of practice regarding waste disposal among the people of this community. The government and non-governmental organizations should organize a massive campaign on the importance of proper waste disposal and to create awareness on proper waste disposal practices.


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