Abstract
The problem of solid waste management presents an issue of increasing importance in many low-income settings, including the progressively urbanised context of Kenya. Kisumu County is one such setting with an estimated 500 t of waste generated per day and with less than half of it regularly collected. The open burning and natural decay of solid waste is an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and atmospheric pollutants with adverse health consequences. In this paper, we use system dynamics modelling to investigate the expected impact on GHG and PM2.5 emissions of (i) a waste-to-biogas initiative and (ii) a regulatory ban on the open burning of waste in landfill. We use life tables to estimate the impact on mortality of the reduction in PM2.5 exposure. Our results indicate that combining these two interventions can generate over 1.1 million tonnes of cumulative savings in GHG emissions by 2035, of which the largest contribution (42%) results from the biogas produced replacing unclean fuels in household cooking. Combining the two interventions is expected to reduce PM2.5 emissions from the waste and residential sectors by over 30% compared to our baseline scenario by 2035, resulting in at least around 1150 cumulative life years saved over 2021–2035. The contribution and novelty of this study lies in the quantification of a potential waste-to-biogas scenario and its environmental and health impact in Kisumu for the first time.
Highlights
IntroductionIn most cities in the region, open dumpsites (both controlled and uncontrolled) are the final resting place of the collected municipal solid waste (MSW), posing environmental and health challenges for city dwellers (UNEP, 2018)
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains a critical challenge despite the development of several continent-wide and regional policies and strategies to address this
Solid waste may give rise to other forms of adverse health impact but in the analysis presented in this paper, we concentrate only on those arising from contamination of the outdoor air by fine particles (PM2.5) arising from burning of solid waste
Summary
In most cities in the region, open dumpsites (both controlled and uncontrolled) are the final resting place of the collected municipal solid waste (MSW), posing environmental and health challenges for city dwellers (UNEP, 2018). With the prevalence of open dumpsites without gas harvesting systems, the decomposition of organic waste leads to the release of methane (Friedrich and Trois, 2011). This gas can, be harnessed as an alternative and clean source of energy for the more than half of households in SSA who rely on biomass and kerosene for cooking (Lambe et al, 2015; Morrissey, 2017). Via exploring the potential of a proposed waste-to-biogas initiative in providing energy for cooking, in reducing GHG emissions, and in improving air quality and associated health outcomes, this paper provides a unique opportunity in the search for pathways towards affordable and clean energy in Kisumu County, Kenya
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