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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Strategic Solid Waste Management Planning for Yangon City, Myanmar

(Myanmar), Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Dissertation Abstract:

 

Yangon City in Myanmar needs proper environmental planning primarily on solid waste management in the face of rapid population increase and urbanization. The study focused on the analysis of the city’s problems and issues on solid waste management and the ensuing formulation of a Strategic Solid Waste Mananagement Plan. The current waste generation rate was 0.465 kg/capita/day in Yangon City with a bulk density of 250 kg/m-3. Kitchen wastes and garden trimmings constituted 65 percent of the total wastes; while plastic, paper, and cardboard, 18 percent; and glass, cans, textile, leather, and rubber, 17 percent.

The existing solid waste management system in Yangon City is basically laborintensive. The service area does not cover the entire city and the final disposal sites are not sufficient for the volume of wastes. The quantity of daily wastes collected was about 671.5 tons out of the total generation of 1,912 tons, or a collection rate of 35 percent. Financially, the cost incurred by Pollution Control and Cleansing Department (PCCD) in collecting and disposing solid wastes in 2003-2004 was MMK 4,932/ton (or USD 4.9) or about MMK 2.3/person/day (or USD 0.0023).

The Strategic Solid Waste Management Plan has been developed following the concepts of basic planning hierarchy and participatory planning. The strategies are envisioned for 20 years (2006-2026) covering: (1) public awareness and education, (2) waste minimization, (3) waste collection and transportation, (4) waste treatment and disposal, and (5) cost recovery and financial sustainability.

The Action Plan, which includes the implementation plan, organizational plan, and investment plan, was formulated for the first five years of the planning period (2006-2011). The implementation plan defines specific actions and activities to be undertaken for all the strategies identified. To fully operationalize the strategic plan, the organizational restructuring of PCCD had been proposed. The investment plan requires MMK 13,000 million (USD 13 million) for the implementation of the initial five years of the Action Plan.

The study recommended that the strategic plan should be supported with enabling policies and legislations, as well as sufficient budgetary allocation for effective and successful implementation.