Research ArticleOpen Access

Threats to Smart Solid waste Management in Sudan

Volume 8 - Issue 1

Abu Bakr El Siddig Ahmed El Tohami*

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- Associate Professor of Environmental Management and Impact Assessment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Omdurman Ahlia University, Sudan
*Corresponding author: Abu Bakr El Siddig Ahmed El Tohami, Associate Professor of Environmental Management and Impact Assessment, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Omdurman Ahlia University, Sudan

Received: August 08, 2018; Published: August 16, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.08.001595

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Abstract

This paper is an attempt to highlight the factors that threaten the smartness of solid waste management in Sudan with an emphasis urban area in the country as well as it is trail to draw a road map to attain what is called Smart solid waste management. This paper is a review article and it depends on the personal experience of the author. Non-smart solid waste management can be attributed to the following factors: vast horizontal expansion of settlements both formal and informal types accompanied by increase in the population of urban centers (in general and Khartoum state in particular) due to pushing and pulling factors. Pulling factors are deterioration in essential infrastructure and communities’ services in rural areas such as health and education facilities, poor or absence of rural development. Other pushing factors are tribal conflicts and violence due to natural factors such as drought and desertification and struggle over the scarce natural resources which enhanced rural- urban migration. This horizontal expansion of the settlements and continuous increase in population have resulted in increase of the generated solid wastes, inefficient means of solid waste management, insufficient number of vehicles, poor salaries of the labor working in collection and transportation and segregation of solid wastes.

This were reflected in the accumulation and scattering of solid wastes which ultimately led to non-smartness of management of such wastes. The following recommendations can be drawn: Rehabilitation of large irrigated schemes in Sudan such as Gezira and Rahad schemes which will improve the balance of payment, ensuring food security and living conditions in rural areas, To treat the actual or root causes of rapid expansion in Khartoum State by strengthening essential infrastructure in rural areas as education and health services, Construction of high buildings rather than flat will reduce the travelling distances and running costs of vehicles working in collection, Attraction of the private sector to invest in recycling and reuse the wastes, Raising the environmental awareness through media and educational institutes

Keywords: Horizontal expansion; Smart solid wastes management; Pulling and pushing factors