Sub report Output 2 Baseline assessment and analysis of existing circular economy initiatives and key players in Zambia
report
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with a current population of 18 million1. The country's
population growth rate stood at 2.8% between 1980 and 2010. The rapid increase in population has
resulted in urbanization, increasing demand for natural systems, and a strain on the existing water and
waste management infrastructure. Lusaka City Council (LCC) reported in 2017 that around one million
tonnes of garbage is generated in Lusaka each year, with just around half of the waste being brought
to the landfill2. Research conducted by UN-Habitat in 2010 indicated that Zambia generates about 0.52
kg3 of waste per person each day, so about 9.776 tonnes (for a population of 18.8 million). Although
this can appear moderate compared to the 1.2 kg per person generated in developed countries, most
waste in developing countries is poorly managed due to inadequate infrastructure and insufficient waste
management budgets. Just about 3% of that material is reused or recycled, causing environmental
degradation, rising GHG emissions, severe health problems, and loss of resources that could otherwise
be valorized. As the economy is expected to develop, this increases the population falling into the
middle-income group, growing consumption patterns, leading to an even faster increase in waste
generation, exposing Zambia to even more solid waste challenges.
population growth rate stood at 2.8% between 1980 and 2010. The rapid increase in population has
resulted in urbanization, increasing demand for natural systems, and a strain on the existing water and
waste management infrastructure. Lusaka City Council (LCC) reported in 2017 that around one million
tonnes of garbage is generated in Lusaka each year, with just around half of the waste being brought
to the landfill2. Research conducted by UN-Habitat in 2010 indicated that Zambia generates about 0.52
kg3 of waste per person each day, so about 9.776 tonnes (for a population of 18.8 million). Although
this can appear moderate compared to the 1.2 kg per person generated in developed countries, most
waste in developing countries is poorly managed due to inadequate infrastructure and insufficient waste
management budgets. Just about 3% of that material is reused or recycled, causing environmental
degradation, rising GHG emissions, severe health problems, and loss of resources that could otherwise
be valorized. As the economy is expected to develop, this increases the population falling into the
middle-income group, growing consumption patterns, leading to an even faster increase in waste
generation, exposing Zambia to even more solid waste challenges.
Topics
TNO Identifier
958914
Publisher
TNO
Collation
66 p.
Place of publication
Petten