College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 5;19(19):12717. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912717.
Solid waste management (SWM) is one of the key responsibilities of city administrators and one of the effective proxies for good governance. Effective SWM mitigates adverse health and environmental impacts, conserves resources, and improves the livability of cities. However, unsustainable SWM practices, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and financial and institutional limitations, negatively impact public health and environmental sustainability. This review article assesses the human and environmental health impacts of SWM practices in the Global South cities that are the future of global urbanization. The study employs desktop research methodology based on in-depth analysis of secondary data and literature, including official documents and published articles. It finds that the commonplace SWM practices include mixing household and commercial garbage with hazardous waste during storage and handling. While waste storage is largely in old or poorly managed facilities such as storage containers, the transportation system is often deficient and informal. The disposal methods are predominantly via uncontrolled dumping, open-air incinerators, and landfills. The negative impacts of such practices include air and water pollution, land degradation, emissions of methane and hazardous leachate, and climate change. These impacts impose significant environmental and public health costs on residents with marginalized social groups mostly affected. The paper concludes with recommendations for mitigating the public and environmental health risks associated with the existing SWM practices in the Global South.
固体废物管理 (SWM) 是城市管理者的主要职责之一，也是良好治理的有效代理之一。有效的 SWM 可以减轻对健康和环境的不利影响，保护资源，并提高城市的宜居性。然而，由于城市化进程的加快以及财政和体制上的限制，不可持续的 SWM 做法对公共卫生和环境可持续性产生了负面影响。
本文评估了未来全球城市化的全球南方城市 SWM 实践对人类和环境健康的影响。该研究采用基于深入分析二手数据和文献的桌面研究方法，包括官方文件和已发表的文章。研究发现，常见的 SWM 做法包括在储存和处理过程中将家庭和商业垃圾与危险废物混合。虽然废物储存主要在旧的或管理不善的设施中，如储存容器中，但运输系统通常是不完善和非正式的。处置方法主要是通过无控制的倾倒、露天焚烧炉和垃圾填埋场。这些做法的负面影响包括空气污染、水污染、土地退化、甲烷和危险渗滤液的排放以及气候变化。这些影响给居民带来了重大的环境和公共卫生成本，社会边缘化群体受到的影响最大。本文最后提出了缓解与全球南方现有 SWM 做法相关的公共和环境健康风险的建议。
