ASSESSMENT OF THE LANDFILL SITUATION OF ADDIS ABABA CITY ADMINISTRATION

Abstract

The management of waste in cities has become an increasingly difficult task for municipalities to keep and maintain the cleanliness of the environment. The management of solid waste in the urban areas is becoming even more difficult as the population and city size increases with time. The objective of this study was to assess the Addis Ababa City landfill system with respect to the standard requirement for a landfill. This qualitative study was conducted during March 2001 at the Addis Ababa landfill site found at the southwestern end of Addis Ababa commonly called ‘Repi’. The methods employed were comparing the site with a standard checklist, observation of the landfill site and in-depth interview with concerned bodies and review of available records. The survey showed that the landfill system of the Addis Ababa City does not have earthen layering after daily operations, ground water monitoring, and leach out collection and treatment facilities. The site was very unsightly, odorous, accessed by human and animal scavengers. There were residential houses very near to the site. The existing situation favors the adverse health effects of the site on the near by dwellers and dwellers of Addis Ababa at large and the environmental pollution of the city. In conclusion, the existing landfill of Addis Ababa city lacked most of the standard requirement of a landfill. Proper landfill management should be initiated. [Ethiop J Health Sci 2003; 13(2):125-130]