Urme, S A; Radia, M A; Alam, R; Chowdhury, M U; Hasan, S; Ahmed, S; Sara, H H; Islam, M S; Jerin, D T; Hema, P S; Rahman, M; Islam, A K M M; Hasan, M T and Quayyum, Z (2021) Dhaka landfill waste practices: Addressing urban pollution and health hazards. Buildings & Cities, 2(1), pp. 700-716. ISSN 2632-6655
Abstract
Two Dhaka, Bangladesh, landfills are explored to understand how management practices impact environmental quality and public health in the surrounding areas. A combination of research methods is used, such as geospatial buffer zone analysis, semi-structured observation checklist and qualitative interviews, to gain an understanding of the waste transportation, leachate percolation, and adverse health and environmental effects. A multi-ring buffer zone and ground truth method were applied through ArcMap for the spatial distribution of landfill-adjacent environmental features. Qualitative interviews were conducted with landfill officials and nearby residents. Findings reveal that landfills are situated very close to residential areas, water bodies and agricultural lands, exposing them to various health and environmental hazards. Improper solid waste management practices of the landfills cause adverse environmental effects by leachate percolation, waste incineration and vector breeding. Adjacent dwellers suffer from bronchial diseases, pneumonia, diarrhoea, itching problems, headache and appetite loss. The existing solid waste management system requires managerial and technical modifications to reduce the associated environmental pollution and health hazards. PRACTICE RELEVANCE Waste management practices impact directly on environmental and public health. Dhaka’s existing waste management practices can become better organised to address these concerns. Source waste reduction must be implemented to ensure the reduction of disposed waste at landfills. Administrative capacity of landfills requires improvement to ensure proper waste management procedures. Increased awareness is also needed among the general population and waste handlers about the adverse effects of uncontrolled waste dumping, along with enforcement measures for improper waste practices. Application of a low-tech, simple and innovative method to improve the leachate treatment process is also needed. Environmentally friendly treatments should be considered in order to minimise landfill odour. Regular training programmes and monitoring activities are needed to ensure the proper utilisation of comfortable and convenient safety gear and reduce vector breeding.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Bangladesh; cities; Dhaka; environmental health; hazard; landfill; pollution; public health; urban; waste management |
| Index terms: | monitoring, population, management practice, residential area, waste management, odour, Bangladesh, buffer, environmental quality, enforcement, environmental effect, solid waste management, waste reduction, landfill, environmentally friendly, interview, health hazard, environmental hazard, spatial distribution, pollution, agricultural land, programme, environmental health, public health |
| Subjects: | project controls, demography, environmental hazards, environmental health, sustainability assessment, management, urban design, financial risk, sustainable design, Geography, health safety and environment, environmental science, geographical analysis, data collection methods, control systems, zoning, environmental impact, waste management |
| Topics: | Time Control, Site Management, Urban Studies, Design Practice, Sustainability, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Cost Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here