Household waste management practices from the CGEDA / DST era at SGDS in Cotonou (Republic of Benin)

Abstract

The problem of household waste management is acute in Cotonou. From the era of COGEDA / DST to SGDS, the unsanitary conditions of household living and neighborhoods are still noticeable. This work aims to describe the household waste management practices in Cotonou from the era of COGEDA / DST to SGDS. The method adopted consisted of conducting questionnaire surveys administered to households in the study area as well as interviews with institutional stakeholders in the management of DMS in Cotonou. At the end of the field work, it was noticed that in the era of COGEDA / DST 34% of households have trash cans, and only 16 % have their garbage removed by the NGOs / SMEs pre-collection of the DSM, against 78 % in the era of SGDS. Regarding the management of wastewater and excreta, nearly half of the households in Cotonou (45%) discharge their domestic wastewater in the courtyard of houses. On-site sanitation is the main mode of excreta collection, with ventilated pit latrines representing the largest percentage (56%). 93% of respondents believe that there is no policy for public sanitation. Hence the notorious insalubrity in certain districts of Cotonou subject to increasing environmental and health risks.