Current Situation Analysis and Suggestions for Solid Waste Management Practices among Households in Freetown

Freetown which is the capital city of Sierra Leone is facing challenges with population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, leading to an increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. The study aims to evaluate MSW generation, composition, and disposal methods, as well as the impact of collection fees, policy implementation, and women’s participation in municipal solid waste management (MSWM). The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection and analysis. The study administered 393 structured questionnaires in three selected sections to collect data on variables such as family size, education, level of knowledge, etc. The study used door-to-door data collection to determine the rate of solid waste generation, composition, and disposal in 66 households from two of the selected sections and 34 households from the other section to evaluate the current situation of MSWM practices among households in Freetown. The study used a descriptive statistic to analyze the data collected using Origin-Pro9 and MS Excel software. The findings showed that with a 4.2% urban growth rate, Freetown had a population of 1,467,543 in 2023, generating 851 tons of MSW per day, with organic waste accounting for 78% of the total MSW generated. Plastic waste generation also increased from 7.6% in 2020 to 13% in 2023. The study emphasizes the need to sustain the MSWM system by prioritizing solid waste collection fees, policy enforcement, and women’s participation in the MSWM sector. It further suggests and provides recommendations for developing an efficient and sustainable MSWM system in Sierra Leone, including knowledge transfer from countries like China and the US.

Synthesis of Attaining Sustainable Development Goal 6.5: A Case Study of Mano River

The Mano River is a transboundary river that runs through Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. According to a 2018 United Nation report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.5, which aims to improve the adoption of cohesive water resource management by 2030;the impact of this goal on the Mano River management is minimal. The research summarizes previous studies using an integrative literature review method, drawing general conclusions and identifying unsolved problems with respect to water resources management. The research finding demonstrated that existing water stress and poor management as exacerbated by socioeconomic practices in the region are the major threats to achieve SDG 6.5. As a result of these activities, long-term management of the river basins has become extremely difficult. The research informs a discussion to achieve cooperative water resource management, which is best achieved by shared collaboration and shared interests as described by SDG 6.5.