Africa's solid waste is growing, posing a climate threat
175 views · Published 16 December 2018 · 5:50 · Indexed 26 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(11 Dec 2018) LEAD IN : As the world meets again to tackle the growing threat of climate change, Africa expects to suffer the most from rising temperatures. And it is least equipped to fight back. The burning of waste is a key contributor to climate change. In 2016, 5 percent of global emissions were generated from solid waste management, excluding transportation according to the World Bank. How the continent tackles the waste produced by its more than 1.2 billion residents, many of them eager consumers in growing economies, is a major question in the fight against climate change. STORYLINE No one would envy a life of scavenging in Kenya's biggest landfill, but Leah Wanjira says it is a life line for her and hundreds of others who scavenge for things to sell. "If this dumpsite is closed, we will not live a good life because most of our young people get help from here. Those who do not have jobs in Nairobi come here to scavenge. Life will become terrible and we will not be happy" she says. Ground-up garbage, from used hospital needles to battered toys, crunch under feet. Thirty pungent acres of the dumpsite stretch out at the center of the city's poorest slums. Regina Wambui says her work here feeds her children and pays for their school fees. "I have been living here for the past 18 years and I am benefiting because this is where is where I had my first child who is going into school year four (4) next year and I have four children. One girl and three boys. So, this is how we educate our children (meaning getting money for school fees), feed them and also get rent." Workers can take home between $10 and $50 a day from recycling. Most Kenyans, who look down on those who work in the country's sprawling landfills, live below $2 a day. Most African countries lack the resources needed to process the growing amount of solid waste says experts from the African Development Bank. Nearly 20 of the world's 50 biggest dumpsites are on the continent, according to Waste Atlas. On top of that, Africa is now a dumping ground for waste from other, often developed, countries, U.N. Environment pointed out in a report earlier this year. The fastest-growing regions for waste generation are sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where it is expected to triple and double, respectively, by 2050, the World Bank said in a September report. By then, the regions will be producing 35 percent of the world's trash. Much of the waste in low-income countries, about 90 percent, is openly dumped or burned. That contributes to worsening air quality while the poor are most affected, the World Bank said. The burning of waste is a key contributor to climate change. In 2016, 5 percent of global emissions were generated from solid waste management, excluding transportation, the bank's report said. Safe, sustainable solid waste management could be an engine for economic growth, recycling and innovative products could create jobs while addressing social and environmental issues says experts from the African Development Bank. Naluthando Lebaka, a South African environmental activist, visiting the site says it is "a good thing that the government has banned the plastics since we know that plastics are not good for our environment. So, I feel that the government should also have programs that accommodate people even if it is not only about recycling, they can also support them like to do agriculture and do food processing. We have also a lot of green jobs they can also look at how they can empower these people." Experts say recycling companies then can be more efficient and have a guaranteed supply of raw materials. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f67959b7753b40856bcab5d313f706db
