Abstract
The sustainability gap in municipal solid waste management in Lagos, Nigeria remainsincreasingly significant. Research states that this gap was influenced by concepts and models
employed in municipal solid waste management and how effectively these concepts and
models adapted to peculiar challenges of the municipality. These peculiar challenges and the
adaptability of these concepts and models are the specific risks and opportunities of any
municipality. This was the rationale for developing a risk based approach model and a risk
prioritisation procedure for municipal solid waste management utilising the Nigerian context
and employing the sustainability aspects as constraints. Based on the pragmatic philosophical stance, the study adopted a mixed method of research with soft system methodology deployed as the based method of evaluation with various analytical tools such as thematic analysis, regression analysis, exploratory factor analysis, sensitivity analysis and percentage analysis integrated into it in varied phases. These were used to analyse data from historical sources, interviews, surveys and questionnaires which were distributed to waste generators, waste managers and regulators. The research findings revealed that stakeholders were critical to effective waste management and that whilst policy waste aspect presented the highest risk hazard priority, and the socio-cultural waste aspect presented the highest risk opportunity priority. Moreover, this study identified three risk factors namely: process risk perception, perceived quality, and waste separation awareness. Also, illustrated that social discount rate correlated to average waste collected in most municipalities. A contribution of these findings was consolidating the stance of existing literature that achieving the sustainability development goals of people, planet and prosperity is hinged critically on effective stakeholders’ management. Other contributions were extending both the EPA’s risk based decision approach and the operator model. Policy was suggested as a centralised role while enforcement and implementation as additional means of differentiating operator models in the new extended operator model. These are significant contributions to existing literature as they help to link theoretical development with sustainability in practice in the context of a sub-Saharan African country. Consequently, this study is recommended for use by waste regulators, operators, and other relevant stakeholders in achieving sustainable municipal solid waste management. Also, it recommends that the socio-cultural opportunities of good practices such as waste separation at source, recycling and resource recovery are encouraged and sustained. However, further work is required to identify other possible risk factors that could facilitate the effectiveness of the risk based approach implementation model.
| Date of Award | Mar 2021 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Regina Frei (Supervisor), Hom Dhakal (Supervisor), Mohamed Galal Hassan Sayed (Supervisor) & Nicholas George Bennett (Supervisor) |