Implications of unplanned solid waste management in the Colombo urban area

Abstract

The dissertation of Unplanned Solid Waste Management in the Colombo Urban Area, analyse the existing solid waste management methods in the said area in a spatial planning context. In the introduction, the definitions used in the study with the scope and the objective of the study and the methodology and the planning process are presented. The first chapter gives an overview of the solid waste management in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries with a historical background of solid waste accumulation in the ancient cities which later became the urban centres. By analysing the national perspective it was evident that the most appropriate unit of solid waste management is a regional entity or a smaller unit. Therefore, the Colombo Urban Area was selected to analyse the implications of unplanned solid waste management and therein the second chapter is confined to discuss the details of existing solid waste management in the CUA. The findings led to the conclusion that the existing solid waste management is causing immense problems in the physical, social, economic and the environmental aspects in human settlements thus creating difficulties to achieve a sustainable human settlement environment. Therefore the third chapter is devoted to analyse the intensity and the magnitude of the implications. The findings of this chapter showed that the reason for the implications is the neglect of spatial planning considerations and the solid waste problem is addressed on a daily basis without a long term plan considering the future population and the development of economic activities which are responsible for the solid waste generation and therefore the fourth chapter is devoted to the reasons for the adverse implications. This chapter further shows that the methods of management of solid waste in the Colombo Urban Area has totally neglected the spatial planning theories, concepts and the techniques by giving examples from the existing solid waste management system in the Colombo Urban Area. A case study was carried out to test the intensity of the implications to which the fifth chapter is devoted to. The findings of the case study confirm the implications discussed in the chapter 3. So the sixth and the final chapter is confined to give the conclusion of the findings with a set of recommendations to achieve a sustainable human settlements environment where the solid waste management is not a problem.