Luppen for smarter Lilongwe settlements
The Lilongwe Urban Poor People Network (Luppen) coordinator Harry Kamba says waste management is key to a clean and healthy environment.
According to Luppen, a 2014 research in Lilongwe’s three urban settlements of Mchesi, Chinsapo and Mwenyekondo, showed more could be done to improve the waste management system in the capital, especially through community mobilisation and evidence-based advocacy.
“There is a deep inequity in the current level of waste management service provision in Lilongwe, to the effect that the city’s poorer residents suffer from a lack of service provision and ensuing waste accumulation. We believe that all of the city’s residents have an equal right to live in a clean and healthy environment, while residents themselves also have a duty to take steps to minimize and address the issue of waste,” said Kamba.
According to him, the research study brought a number of insights regarding waste management in Lilongwe, particularly in its poorer areas. Recognising that living in a clean and healthy environment is both a right and a duty, the study found that poor waste management in Lilongwe is a result of both the Lilongwe City Council failing to provide adequate and equitable waste management services, as well as because many of Lilongwe’s residents do not take responsibility for keeping the environment clean.
“It was also found that through sensitising residents to the importance of waste management and mobilising them to take action, improvements in waste management can be achieved. This is particularly the case at the household level, but as shown in the project’s three case studies, even settlement-level improvements can be achieved through resident mobilisation,” said Kamba.
He said the case studies, particularly Chinsapo, also showed that direct dialogue between settlement residents and relevant civil servants at the city council can lead to improvements in the waste management services provided by the duty-bearer.
