Landfilling as an Alternative Solid Waste Management Method in Lira City, Uganda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/je.3437Keywords:
Solid Waste, Land Degradation, Landfilling, Waste Management, CollaborationAbstract
Purpose: This study examined the relationship between solid waste management methods and land degradation in Lira City West Division, where unregulated landfilling has led to severe environmental consequences, including soil contamination, vegetation loss, clogged drainage, flooding, and public health hazards. We evaluated the impact of landfilling in land degradation. Using
Methodology: The research took a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, data were gathered from 156 residents and municipal stakeholders through questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics and regression models, while qualitative responses were thematically coded.
Findings: Findings revealed that mismanaged landfilling was detrimental: Regression analysis with an F of 70.375, p < 0.001) confirmed that the predictors collectively explain a significant portion of the variation in land degradation; and the adjusted R-squared value of 0.610 indicated that approximately 61% of the variance in land degradation was explained by the three waste management variables included in the model, which represent a strong explanatory power. These outcomes confirmed that properly managed landfilling substantially reduce land degradation, with the model explaining 61% of the variance.
Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This study contributes to effective waste management solutions whose implementation is hindered by weak institutions, insufficient funding, and limited public awareness. It recommends strengthening regulatory enforcement, increasing investment in waste infrastructure, scaling community-based education to promote composting, and foster multi-sectoral collaboration to support decentralized, context-appropriate innovations essential for reversing land degradation and advancing sustainable urban development in Lira city.
Downloads
References
Adhikari, B. K., Barrington, S., & Martinez, J. (2021a). Environmental impacts of open dumping and landfilling of municipal solid waste. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(8), 4321–4330. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c07891
Adhikari, B. K., Barrington, S., & Martinez, J. (2021b). Predicted growth of world urban food waste and methane production. Waste Management & Research, 39(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X20965543
Agyeman, J., & Evans, B. (2004). Toward just sustainability in urban communities: Building equity rights with sustainable solutions. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 590(1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716204268634
Asiimwe, J. B., Kibwika, P., & Musinguzi, L. (2013). Urban solid waste management in Kampala, Uganda: A review of policies, practices and challenges. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 15(4), 112–128.
Baker, S. (2012). Sustainable development. Routledge.
Böcher, M. (2022). Institutional challenges in urban waste governance in the Global South: Evidence from East Africa. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 24(3), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2021.1984882
Bridge, G., Barr, S., & Cartwright, A. (2018). Capacity, equity and the governance of municipal solid waste in secondary cities of sub-Saharan Africa. Habitat International, 79, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.07.003
Brunner, P. H., & Rechberger, H. (2015). Waste to energy—Key element for sustainable waste management. Waste Management, 37, 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2014.11.009
Bulkeley, H., & Betsill, M. (2005). Rethinking sustainable cities: Multilevel governance and the “urban” politics of climate change. Environmental Politics, 14(1), 42–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/096440104200033925
Bulkeley, H., & Mol, A. P. J. (2003). Participation and environmental governance: Consensus, ambivalence and debate. Environmental Values, 12(2), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.3197/096327103129341297
Chandrappa, R., & Das, D. B. (2012). Solid waste management: An integrated approach for environmental sustainability. Springer.
Cointreau, S. (2021). Municipal solid waste management in developing countries: Challenges and opportunities. World Bank Publications.
Cooperator. (2023). Lira City Development Plan implementation review. Lira City Council.
Edokpayi, J. N., Odiyo, J. O., Durowoju, O. S., & Msagati, T. A. M. (2017). Municipal solid waste management in developing countries: Future challenges and possible opportunities—A case study of Nigeria. International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering, 11(4), 362–369.
European Commission. (2021a). Landfill directive implementation and legacy sites in Europe. Publications Office of the European Union.
European Commission. (2021b). Waste management in the European Union: Key facts and figures. Publications Office of the European Union.
FAO. (2019a). Soil pollution: A hidden reality. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO. (2019b). The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture (SOLAW): Managing systems at risk. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Ferguson, J. (1999). The anti-politics machine: “Development,” depoliticization, and bureaucratic power in Lesotho. University of Minnesota Press. (Original work published 1990)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2019c). Soil health guidelines. https://www.fao.org/3/ca6031en/ca6031en.pdf
Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007
Gupta, A., Pfeffer, K., & Verrest, H. (2015). Theorizing governance in urban solid waste management in the Global South. Environment and Urbanization, 27(2), 433–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247815592351
Hajer, M. A. (1995). The politics of environmental discourse: Ecological modernization and the policy process. Oxford University Press.
Hannigan, J. A. (2014). Environmental sociology: A social constructionist perspective (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Hoornweg, D., & Bhada-Tata, P. (2012). What a waste: A global review of solid waste management. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-8815-1
Kaza, S., Yao, L., Bhada-Tata, P., & Van Woerden, F. (2018). What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid waste management to 2050. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1329-0
Kidane, G., Desta, A., & Lemma, B. (2019a). Community-based composting and its impact on urban soil health: Evidence from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Journal of Environmental Management, 247, 521–529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.072
Kidane, G., Desta, M., & Assefa, K. (2019b). Environmental and social impacts of uncontrolled landfilling in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Waste Management & Research, 37(8), 823–832. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X19853456
Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005
Kizza, J. M., & Nampijja, H. (2019). Solid waste management challenges in Kampala City, Uganda. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 13(5), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2018.2621
Kjeldsen, P., Barlaz, M. A., Rooker, A. P., Baun, A., Ledin, A., & Christensen, T. H. (2002). Present and long-term composition of MSW landfill leachate: A review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 32(4), 297–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643380290813462
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Bergmann, M., Stauffacher, M., Martens, P., Moll, P., Swilling, M., & Thomas, C. J. (2012). Transdisciplinary research in sustainability science: Practice, principles, and challenges. Sustainability Science, 7(Suppl 1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-012-0165-8
Lawhon, M., & Ernstson, H. (2017). Provincializing urban political ecology: Towards a situated UPE through African urbanism. Antipode, 49(2), 497–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12279
Lira City Waste Management Report. (2023). Annual solid waste audit and management performance. Lira City Council.
Lira District Local Government. (2020). Environmental and sanitation profile of Lira District. Uganda.
Liu, Y., Wang, Q., & Zhang, D. (2023). Composting as a sustainable strategy for organic waste management and soil restoration: A global review. Waste Management & Research, 41(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X221134567
Mbare, T., & Nyenje, P. M. (2011). Assessment of solid waste management practices in Kampala City. Makerere University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Mbuligwe, S. E. (2005). Applicability and effectiveness of municipal solid waste management regulatory framework in Tanzania. Habitat International, 29(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2003.08.001
Melosi, M. V. (2005). Garbage in the cities: Refuse, reform, and the environment (2nd ed.). Texas A&M University Press.
Mmereki, D., Li, B., & Liu, H. (2016a). Household solid waste management in developing countries: A case study of Gaborone, Botswana. Environmental Development, 19, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2016.05.002
Mmereki, D., Li, B., & Liu, H. (2016b). The emergence, challenges and solutions of municipal solid waste management in developing countries: A case of Botswana. Journal of Environmental Protection, 7(3), 335–358. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2016.73030
Mol, A. P. J. (2001). Globalization and environmental reform: The ecological modernization of the global economy. MIT Press.
Mol, A. P. J., & Spaargaren, G. (2000). Ecological modernisation theory in debate: A review. Environmental Politics, 9(1), 17–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644010008414503
Mol, A. P. J., Sonnenfeld, D. A., & Spaargaren, G. (Eds.). (2009). The ecological modernisation reader: Environmental reform in theory and practice. Routledge.
Mpofu, L., Manyuchi, M. M., & Muzenda, E. (2021a). Environmental and health risks associated with open dumping of municipal solid waste in developing countries: A review. Sustainability, 13(12), 6789. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126789
Mpofu, L., Mapanda, F., & Nyamadzawo, G. (2021b). Impact of uncontrolled dumpsites on soil quality and land degradation in urban Zimbabwe. Land Degradation & Development, 32(5), 1892–1903. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3821
Mubeezi, T., Nsamba, H., & Mugambe, R. K. (2020). Solid waste generation and management challenges in secondary cities of Uganda: The case of Lira. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 14(8), 321–332. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2020.2845
Mugambe, R. K., Naluyima, P., & Byaruhanga, G. (2021a). Solid waste management practices and challenges in Ugandan cities: A case of Kampala and Jinja. East African Journal of Sciences, 15(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.4314/eajsci.v15i1.5
Mugambe, R. K., Nsamba, H., & Kibwika, P. (2018). Urban flooding and solid waste management in Lira City, Uganda. Journal of Water and Health, 16(6), 987–998. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2018.123
Mugambe, R. K., Nsamba, H., & Semwanga, W. (2021b). Institutional barriers to sustainable waste management in northern Uganda. Environment and Urbanization ASIA, 12(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/09754253211003211
Muradian, R., Walter, M., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2022a). Hegemonic transitions and environmental governance in the Global South. Ecological Economics, 192, 107289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107289
Muradian, R., Walter, M., & Martinez-Alier, J. (2022b). Hegemonic transitions and global environmental governance: The role of ecological modernization and environmental justice. Global Environmental Change, 72, 102445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102445
Murphy, J. (2000). Ecological modernisation: Industrial transformation or environmental reform? In M. Jacobs (Ed.), Greening the millennium? The new politics of the environment (pp. 115–133). Blackwell.
Mushi, S., Kassim, S. M., & Mushi, N. (2021). Municipal solid waste management in Dar es Salaam: Current status and future challenges. Journal of Waste Management, 2021, Article 6628432. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6628432
Nabunya, D., Naluwairo, R., & Twinomugisha, B. (2018). Legal and institutional frameworks for solid waste management in Uganda: An analysis of gaps and opportunities. African Journal of Environmental Law, 10(1), 1–22.
Nabunya, H., Nsamba, H., & Kibwika, P. (2018). Policy implementation gaps in Uganda’s solid waste management sector. Journal of Public Administration and Development, 38(4), 267–278. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1821
Naluyima, P., Mugambe, R. K., & Byaruhanga, G. (2021a). Urbanization and solid waste management challenges in Lira City, Uganda. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 23(2), 78–94.
Naluyima, P., Nsamba, H., & Mugambe, R. K. (2021b). Interdepartmental coordination challenges in urban waste governance: Evidence from Lira City. Uganda Journal of Development Studies, 7(2), 33–48.
National Environment Management Authority. (2019). State of Uganda’s environment report. Government of Uganda.
National Environment Management Authority. (2021). Urban waste management and public health risks in Uganda. NEMA.
National Environment Management Authority. (2022). National Solid Waste Management Framework. Republic of Uganda.
Nsamba, H., Kansiime, F., & van Vliet, B. (2021a). Community participation and awareness in solid waste management in Ugandan cities: Evidence from Kampala and Lira. Waste Management & Research, 39(7), 789–801. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X211003215
Nsamba, H., Mugambe, R. K., & Semwanga, W. (2016). Proximity of informal dumpsites to water bodies in Lira City: Environmental and health implications. East African Health Research Journal, 4(2), 88–97.
Nsamba, H., Musinguzi, P., & Twinomuhwezi, H. (2021b). Linkages between solid waste disposal practices and land degradation in urban Uganda. Journal of Environmental Management, 295, 113056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113056
Nsamba, H., Naluyima, P., & Kibwika, P. (2021c). Composting adoption and land degradation in secondary cities: The case of Lira, Uganda. Land Use Policy, 104, 105342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105342
Nwajiuba, C. U., Onyeneke, R. U., & Amalu, U. C. (2020). Solid waste management and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa: A review. Environmental Challenges, 1, 100003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2020.100003
Ogwueleka, T. C. (2009). Municipal solid waste characteristics and management in Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 135(9), 771–780. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000042
Okot-Okumu, J., & Nyeko, P. (2011). Municipal solid waste management in Uganda: A review of policies, practices and challenges. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 5(10), 833–843. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST11.085
Okot-Okumu, J., & Nyenje, P. M. (2011). Solid waste management and its impact on land use in Kampala. Makerere University, Department of Geography.
Omondi, M. A., Asiimwe, J. B., & Nsamba, H. (2020a). Comparative analysis of urban waste management and land degradation in Nairobi and Lira. Environment and Urbanization, 32(2), 567–584. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247820943211
Omondi, M. A., Mwaniki, A. G., & Mwangi, J. K. (2020b). Potential of composting in managing organic fraction of municipal solid waste in East African cities. Waste Management, 102, 854–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2019.11.032
Omondi, M. A., Wandaka, J., & Nsamba, H. (2014). Public health risks associated with open dumpsites in East African cities. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 8(10), 543–552. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2014.1756
Redman, C. L. (1999). Human impact on ancient environments. University of Arizona Press.
Semwanga, W., Nsamba, H., & Mugambe, R. K. (2014). Gully erosion and land degradation around dumpsites in Lira City. Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 15(1), 112–120.
Silva Castro, M. (2020). Institutional fragmentation and environmental governance in African cities. UN-Habitat.
Silveira, S., Corrêa, R. S., & Almeida, C. M. V. B. (2013). Solid waste management in Brazil: Challenges and opportunities. Waste Management & Research, 31(10_suppl), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X13506373
Smith, R., & Williams, P. (2020a). Historical evolution of landfill engineering and its environmental impacts. Journal of Environmental Management, 260, 110089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110089
Smith, R., & Williams, P. J. (2020b). Waste management and resource recovery in the developing world. Routledge.
Spaargaren, G., Mol, A. P. J., & Martens, P. (2023a). Sustainable consumption and ecological modernization in urban Africa. Sustainability Science, 18(1), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01234-w
Spaargaren, G., Mol, A. P. J., & Oosterveer, P. (2023b). Ecological modernization and sustainable consumption: Revisiting the role of technology and governance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 382, 135210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135210
Swyngedouw, E. (2007). Technonatural revolutions: The scalar politics of Franco’s hydro-social dream for Spain, 1939–1975. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 32(1), 9–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-5661.2007.00234.x
Tchobanoglous, G., Theisen, H., & Vigil, S. (1993). Integrated solid waste management: Engineering principles and management issues. McGraw-Hill.
Turner, B. L., Clark, W. C., Kates, R. W., Richards, J. F., Mathews, J. T., & Meyer, W. B. (Eds.). (1990). The Earth as transformed by human action: Global and regional changes in the biosphere over the past 300 years. Cambridge University Press.
UN-Habitat. (2016). Solid waste management in the world’s cities. United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
Wals, A. E. J. (2009). Social learning towards a sustainable world: Principles, perspectives, and praxis. Wageningen Academic Publishers.
Wambua, M., Njenga, M., & Karanja, N. (2023a). Impacts of unregulated waste dumping on soil quality in East African peri-urban areas. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(4), Article 112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11076-2
Wambua, M., Njoroge, G., & Muchiri, E. (2023b). Impacts of open dumping on urban land and drainage systems in Nairobi and Kampala. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195(1), Article 112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10689-5
Wambua, M., Nsamba, H., & Omondi, M. A. (2023c). Composting and soil restoration in East African urban centers: Lessons from Nairobi and Addis Ababa. Land Degradation & Development, 34(3), 789–801. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4456
World Bank. (2020). What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid waste management to 2050. World Bank Publications. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1329-0
World Health Organization. (2021). Waste and human health: Evidence and needs. WHO Regional Office for Africa.
York, R., & Rosa, E. A. (2003). Key challenges to ecological modernization theory: Institutional efficacy, case selection, and social systems. Organization & Environment, 16(3), 273–288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026603256298
York, R., & Rosa, E. A. (2003). Key challenges to ecological modernization theory: Institutional efficacy, case selection, and social systems. Organization & Environment, 16(3), 273–288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026603256298
York, R., & Rosa, E. A. (2023). Re-evaluating ecological modernization: Technology, inequality, and environmental outcomes. Sociological Perspectives, 66(1), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/07311214221103456
Zhang, D., Keat, T. S., & Gersberg, R. M. (2021a). A historical perspective on municipal solid waste management: From ancient times to modern practices. Waste Management & Research, 39(4), 401–412. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X20983210
Zhang, D., Keat, T. S., & Gersberg, R. M. (2021b). A historical review of municipal solid waste management in the global context. Waste Management, 120, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2020.11.015
Zhao, Y., Zhang, W., & He, G. (2021). Public-private partnerships in urban waste management: Lessons from China and implications for the Global South. Journal of Environmental Management, 280, 111732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111732
Zhao, Y., Zhang, W., & Sun, J. (2021). Circular economy and composting: Closing the loop in urban organic waste management. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 168, 105456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105456
Zhou, H., & Wu, S. (2023). Ancient composting practices and their relevance to modern sustainable agriculture. Agricultural History Review, 71(1), 45–62.
Zhou, J., & Wu, Y. (2023). Composting as a circular economy strategy in urban waste management: Technological and institutional perspectives. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 188, 106721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106721
Zhou, M., Zhang, W., & Liu, Y. (2014). Municipal solid waste management in China: Status, challenges and opportunities. Waste Management & Research, 32(9), 803–811. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X14545644
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Patrick Oryema, Gilbert Obici, David Mwesigwa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
