Greenhouse gas emission analysis of upgrading from an open dump to a semi-aerobic landfill in Mozambique – the case of Hulene dumpsite

Abstract

Halting the unsustainable solid waste disposal practices has been a concerning issue due to the severe implications to public safety, health and the adverse impacts on the environment.As such, in lower-income nations where dumpsites are the leading waste disposal structures, there is an ongoing effort to upgrade to more sustainable options. In Mozambique, a semi-aerobic landfill, also known as the Fukuoka method, was selected to replace the key dumpsite located in the capital. Nevertheless, limited information is available on the prospective environmental impacts resulting from the planned upgrade. This study aims to assess the greenhouse gas emissions from Hulene dumpsite in Maputo City, Mozambique, operating under anaerobic conditions and the changes after the upgrade to a semi-aerobic landfill, employing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies. The emissions from 1980 to 2030 in the dumpsite totaled 2,455 Gg CO2-eq, which 568 Gg CO2-eq corresponds to the contribution from open-burning activities. On the other hand, emissions for the semi-aerobic landfill from 2020 to 2030 were 685 Gg CO2-eq, 40% less than the total emissions from open dumping in the same period. The findings suggest that transitioning to a semi-aerobic landfill can significantly reduce GHG emissions, improve the local environment, and protect human health.