Solid Waste Management at Inhaca Island

Sammanfattning: Solid Waste Management has become an issue of increasing global concern. As the population continues to grow and consumption patterns change municipal authorities are facing immense challenges to manage the increasing amounts of solid waste in a sustainable way. This report is composed by interviews, observations and literary studies and aims to map the Solid Waste Management system of Inhaca Island in Mozambique, in order to identify challenges and recommend for further actions of improvement. At Inhaca Island, waste is deposited on an open dumpsite or otherwise buried or burned around the house yards. The lack of financial means contributes to an improper waste management on the with challenges in areas such as collecting, disposal and treatment of waste. For Inhaca Island it is important to focus on improvements of the Solid Waste Management system that are not as dependent on the financial means of Maputo municipality, such as improvement in public awareness and informal waste-picking. These factors need to be addressed before establishing a technical system. Inadequate collection and handling of waste exposes the population to hazardous waste and endanger both public health and the environment. Therefore it is important to improve the waste management conditions on the island.