(Dec 06, 2011, Addis Ababa)--With a rapidly expanding population the Ethiopian city of Addis Ababa is heading towards mega-city status, but it is also facing severe social, economic and environmental problems.
Mike Speck looks at how a German government funded programme is helping the locals recycle waste into resources through a number of pilot projects.
According to statistics from the UN, the world's urban population has already increased from about 38% in 1975 to almost 50% in 2007 and will rise further to approximately 70% by 2050. Furthermore, by 2007 72% of that urban population was located in 'less developed regions', leading to severe challenges in resource management.
With the aim of tackling this situation, a joint research project – Income Generation and Climate Protection (IGNIS), aims to sustainably valorise municipal solid wastes in emerging mega-cities, and is running a number of pilot projects, including Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa pilot projects
Due to migration from rural areas Addis Ababa suffers from a high rate of population growth and is currently estimated to have a population 2.8 million, which is expected to reach six million within 20 years.
As a result of this urban growth, Addis Ababa is facing severe social, economic and environmental problems. According to the Addis Ababa Sanitation, Beautification and Park's Development Agency (SBPDA) the daily waste generation of the city is about 0.252 kg per capita per day. Applying a population of 2.8 million the annual solid waste generation equates to 257,544 tonnes.
Futhermore, about 72.4% of the generated solid waste is collected, of which about 90% is landfilled, about 5% recycled and 5% composted, according to the SBPDA. The remaining 17.6% is disposed in open spaces, ditches, rivers, etc. or is burned on the streets or in back-yards.
The scientific basis of the IGNIS project consists of experimental pilot projects with the majority comprising small-scale and decentralised projects to help improve collection and recycling. Read more from Waste Management World Magazine »
Mike Speck looks at how a German government funded programme is helping the locals recycle waste into resources through a number of pilot projects.According to statistics from the UN, the world's urban population has already increased from about 38% in 1975 to almost 50% in 2007 and will rise further to approximately 70% by 2050. Furthermore, by 2007 72% of that urban population was located in 'less developed regions', leading to severe challenges in resource management.
With the aim of tackling this situation, a joint research project – Income Generation and Climate Protection (IGNIS), aims to sustainably valorise municipal solid wastes in emerging mega-cities, and is running a number of pilot projects, including Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa pilot projects
Due to migration from rural areas Addis Ababa suffers from a high rate of population growth and is currently estimated to have a population 2.8 million, which is expected to reach six million within 20 years.
As a result of this urban growth, Addis Ababa is facing severe social, economic and environmental problems. According to the Addis Ababa Sanitation, Beautification and Park's Development Agency (SBPDA) the daily waste generation of the city is about 0.252 kg per capita per day. Applying a population of 2.8 million the annual solid waste generation equates to 257,544 tonnes.
Futhermore, about 72.4% of the generated solid waste is collected, of which about 90% is landfilled, about 5% recycled and 5% composted, according to the SBPDA. The remaining 17.6% is disposed in open spaces, ditches, rivers, etc. or is burned on the streets or in back-yards.
The scientific basis of the IGNIS project consists of experimental pilot projects with the majority comprising small-scale and decentralised projects to help improve collection and recycling. Read more from Waste Management World Magazine »
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