Strategies for identifying and designing safe, economic municipal solid waste disposal sites in the arid zones of Southern Africa

This paper describes the potential role of local climatic, environmental and geological settings in the development of economic and safe municipal solid waste disposal sites in the arid zones of Southern Africa. Arid zones of Southern Africa are exemplified by the Kalahari and Namib Deserts. These hot and extremely dry deserts cover much of Namibia, Botswana, the northern part of South Africa and the southern part of Angola. In all of these arid zones, municipal solid waste disposal sites are part of the modern urban development. The natural extreme dry conditions of this environment are a key factor in the development of appropriate strategies and technologies that can make municipal waste disposal sites more sustainable with realistic costs and fewer environmental impacts.