Environmental Challengesby Bwalya Bwalya | 20-04-2018 16:35 |
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Our Lifestyle especially in the twenty first century has created numerous environmental challenges and these include solid waste crisis, street vending and other allied problems. Industries, households and agricultural activities are major sources of the mentioned problems. These are mainly caused by the huge energy consumption demand and the need of better lifestyles. Ineffective solid waste management has been a worldwide phenomenon that affects the total environment and has been discussed at global, regional as well as national levels. When various human activities such as economic activities and industrial operation are concentrated in town such as trade and material processing, it becomes increasingly difficult to deal with the side effects both on the environment as well as on human health. Waste management refers to a systematic process of handling of waste including generation, storage, handling, sorting and treatment to avoid adverse effects on the environment. The increasing amount of solid waste is the most disturbing problem in public places in Zambia. Urbanization is known as a way that leads to waste generation and poor disposal in most developing countries. People migrate from rural areas in search of employment, better living standards as well as trade. Furthermore, extreme increase in population has lead to unsanitary disposal of waste and environmental degradation as well as other allied problems. Industrialization is another contributing factor to solid waste problems due to externalities. Firms that are involved in processing materials do not internalize the cost of waste discharge as a result other people pay costs of effects. Technology advancement has highly increased the rate of waste generation into the environment through its efficiency and effectiveness of production. Furthermore, increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) greatly also impact on waste accumulation. This means that an increase in GDP will translate into identical increase in waste accumulation due to careless waste disposal of used goods and unsustainable consumer habits. Presently, waste disposal is a subject that has drawn people's attention in Zambia as well as the rest of the World. Economics ensures that general safe measures are employed to help shape the environment. The principle of the polluter pays is a measure that was first formulated in the early 1970s by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It States that the polluter should bear the expenses of carrying out pollution control measures decided upon by public authorities to ensure that the environment is in an acceptable state. It clearly emphasizes on taking responsibility of all waste being generated by firms or individuals and to avoid externalities. For instance, The Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Act no. 12 of 1990, amended in 1999 is principal law on the environment and came into effect in 1992. This provides for the handling of waste such as the licensing or permitting process for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste. Price incentives and economics ensure abatement in waste generation. Taxes are designed to improve the environment. Taxes on virgin material is preffered over tax on waste treatment in order to prevent the degradation of the quality of the environment. On the other hand, street vending is a major environmental problem that has raised concerns and debates .The issue is received with mixed emotions in Zambia and global level due to it's diverse effects on the environment. Trade liberalization and poverty is often associated with booming of the urban sector. Economic restructuring and economic crisis leads to loss of formal employment and increase in informal employment. Economic recession triggers more of street vending when firms decide to lay off labour force and cost of wages for employees to maximize on production and profit. Illegal traders take their goods and services to bus terminals, roads, industrial sites and other places where people are mostly found. These locations are usually free from tax, food safety and hygienic conditions. Waste accumulation through uncontrolled dumping results in a number of health as well as environmental problems such as the perennial outbreaks of diseases like cholera, dysentry as well as pollution of water resources, air, soil and land as well as loss of aesthetic beauty. Without proper education, orientation and public awareness at all levels of society, it would be difficult to manage waste. Therefore, there is need to develop intergrated approaches where the public, private and community sectors work together to develop local solutions in promoting sustainable solid waste management. Accumulation of waste in undesignated areas could be reduced through public awareness among residents to manage household refuse and educating them about the hazards that ill disposed waste could pose to the environment and themselves. |
