The case for citywide IEC strategy for Addis Ababa's solid waste management system

Information, education and communication (IEC)related activities being undertaken by the various actors in the solid waste management (SWM) system of the Addis Ababa City Administration (AACA) were reviewed employing a rapid appraisal methodology. Brochures, posters, awareness enhancing and skills training workshops, compost demonstration sites and event based radio and TV based educational programs are found to be the major media employed with varying levels of importance in disseminating SWM related messages. The coverage and level of coordination among the various IEC related interventions is found to be low, which precluded achieving synergetic impact. The absence of a citywide IEC strategy for SWM is highlighted as a missing link in the rather bad state of affairs in the city’s SWM system and hence its sanitation situation. The study has identified a number of issues that should be taken up in the attempt to create sufficient capacity to plan, execute and coordinate IEC activities in SWM.