Effectiveness of solid waste management in the Maldives : a case study from Ukhulas

Abstract

Waste management in preindustrial times was simple because most of the waste compromised of organic materials which decompose naturally. However with the introduction of non- biodegradable synthetic materials such as plastic, waste treatment and waste disposal have become a pressing concern in the Maldives due to limited financial and human resources available in the country. This research tries to identify factors that can influence the long term sustainability of Community Based Solid Waste Management Systems from social, economic and environmental perspectives, and to suggest recommendations for areas that need further improvement and development in the system. A quantitative approach was used as the research methodology. The survey questionnaire was a close ended questionnaire. Data were collected by conducting social survey and secondary data sources. Data analysis for the social survey was carried out using SPSS. Analysis of results showed Ukulhas waste management Centre utilizes 79.2% of organic waste brought to the waste management Centre to make compost. Spearman’s rank order showed there was no association between respondent’s satisfaction level and their willingness to pay for waste collection service. Kruskal Wallis test showed there was a significance difference in satisfaction level towards waste management system across different age groups, and Chi-Square test showed there was no association between respondent’s attitude towards plastic and their willingness to use recyclable shopping bags. The findings were analyzed using DPSIR framework.