Solid waste management in Dar es Salaam City: understanding roles, levels and collaboration among stakeholders

Abstract

This paper reports findings of a study on community participation on solid waste management. The study was conducted in Kinondoni municipality, Dar es Salaam city. The objective was to reveal various levels of participation and collaboration in management of solid waste. Four principal stakeholders collaborating with the Local government Authorities (LGAs) were identified including the grassroots people, the private sector (contractors), and institutions. Questionnaires and survey were conducted in 57% out of the 27 wards of the study area. The study has revealed four major issues that need to be worked upon in order for stakeholders to be able to collaborate with one another and particularly with LGAs in solid waste management. These include ensuring that all stakeholders play their roles fully and properly; ensuring proper information flow; provision of necessary education, and maintaining equal accountability for solid waste management. Generally, the respondent felt that if the identified issues are well considered and fully taken into account, the cooperation and collaboration among the stakeholders would be greatly enhanced. Needs of ensuring all stakeholders play their role in solid waste management were considered to be the major issue for enhancing cooperation and collaboration among the stakeholders. It was also concluded that enhancement of collaboration and maintenance of accountability among the stakeholders can significantly promote effective collaboration among the stakeholders.

Keywords: Cooperation, collaboration, community participation, environmental management and accountability