Description:Waste management is a growing problem in the Great lakes region. The increase in solid waste generation has not been accompanied by an equivalent increase in the capacity of relevant urban authorities to deal with it. These cities face a major challenge in establishing an effective and efficient waste collection system. Most of the material recovery for recycling is carried out by scavengers on the waste dump or even before and there is no comprehensive system for segregation at source nor any proper transfer stations to increase material recovery for recycling purposes.
At the same time, Kenya is facing serious shortages in fertilizers and this has been compounded by the rise in oil and raw material prices which ultimately will result in higher fertilizer prices. There is a real danger of eutrophication of all open water in the Great Lakes region if artificial fertilizers are to be applied on a large scale in order uplift the agricultural sector from marginal farming to more productive levels. Meanwhile food production has been reduced with most farmers unable to meet growing demand hence resulting to food insecurity and malnourishment.
UNEP and the Kenya Government are therefore interested to identify the possibilities the set up a facility that will use organic city waste to produce natural compost.
Research objectives:
Objectives of the project:
. Explore options for the development of a viable system of collecting, processing, distribution and marketing of organic city waste material for application in (peri-urban) agriculture for major cities in East Africa in general and for Nairobi in particular
. Formulate development scenario s and policy recommendations for implementation.
Results and products:
The project activities will lead to the following outputs:
. Report on current waste management system and relevant policies in Nairobi
. Report on technical options and challenges in composting for (peri-urban) agriculture use
. Implementation and results of pilot implementation project
. Feasibility report presenting implementation scenario's for Nairobi and other East Africa cities Two symposia organised jointly with UNEP |
