Refuse management problems in Lusaka, Zambia

Lusaka City, with an estimated population in 1996 of 1.9 million and area of about 360 km2, is one of the largest and fastest growing urban centres in Zambia (LCC, 1996). Up to 75 per cent of the city’s population live in peri-urban areas, mostly in unplanned (squatter) settlements, which are characterised by overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and limited access to refuse collection acid disposal services. Management of urban refuse in Lusaka is a responsibility of the Lusaka City Council (LCC) through its Department of Public Cleansing (DPC), which is under the Public Health Services Directorate. Over recent years the DPC has encountered a number of problems including shortage of equipment, inadequate funds and a low capacity in skilled labour force making it unable to continue servicing the city adequately and effectively. These problems have been to a larger extent aggravated by the lack of both political will and public awareness of the dangers of uncollected refuse. The introduction of liberalised trade which promoted large scale street vending and roadside trading, has increased waste accumulation and worsened the already deteriorating situation of the DPC. The problems of refuse management in Lusaka are further discussed in this paper. Various contemplated and attempted solutions by the Lusaka City Council and other interested parties are also reviewed.