Solid waste management and urban environmental quality of public space in Chiclayo, Peru

Abstract

Solid Waste Management (SWM) through planning and technical coordination is essential for the sustainable development of cities in terms of social, physical, territorial, and legal-political aspects. During the last 20 years, Chiclayo has been the most polluted city in northern Peru owing to its poor municipal solid waste (MSW) management. This study aims to determine the level of urban impact generated by SWM on the configuration of public spaces in the districts of José Leonardo Ortiz, La Victoria, and Chiclayo (homonymous district). Management actors were identified with a territorial diagnosis for methodological analysis to obtain efficiency indices. The scope of management in the last ten years was determined using the Fisher-Davies method and Leopold diagrams, and the results obtained were compared with the population's perception. The discussion of the results determined that SWM has a negative level of urban environmental impact on the configuration of public spaces. These have a very negative impact on the biotic and abiotic factors of the urban landscape as well as on sociocultural factors. This study provides evidence of the implications of city governance on territorial sustainability. This will allow for the development of thematic frameworks that address urban, environmental, socioeconomic, and technological policies in response to new territorial dynamics.