Spatial Distribution of Random Waste and Its Environmental Impacts in Al-Nasr and Al-Salam Center

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the solid waste management system in the Al-Nasr and Al-Salam Center and to analyze the demographic, service-related, and environmental factors contributing to the increasing problem of uncontrolled waste disposal. The findings indicate that population growth and household size—averaging five individuals per dwelling—combined with a per-capita waste generation rate of 1.25 kg/day, result in large quantities of waste estimated at 175,000 kg per day, equivalent to more than 5,250,000 kg per month. The assessment also reveals a gap between the standard requirements for labor and equipment and the actual available resources: while the center requires 112 sanitation workers, only 131 are available, most of whom are temporary wage workers, reflecting limited service stability. The study also identifies a shortage in mechanical resources, as the area needs 22 compactors but only 14 are operational, in addition to the limited number of heavy machinery.

Furthermore, residents’ behaviors and low environmental awareness represent major challenges, as waste is frequently disposed of in streets and vacant lots without adherence to designated containers, and no source-sorting practices are observed. This leads to the proliferation of random dumping sites and places additional pressure on the municipality, which often relies on loaders to remove waste—causing erosion of soil cover and requiring repeated refilling. The absence of an official sanitary landfill outside municipal boundaries further exacerbates the issue, leading to the use of vacant land as informal dumping sites with serious environmental and health implications.

The study concludes with a set of proposed measures, including establishing a daily waste collection plan, providing adequate labor and equipment, creating secondary collection points, enhancing environmental awareness, enforcing local penalties, developing a waste-sorting system by supplying specialized bags and establishing small production units, as well as improving institutional coordination and involving the local community. The results emphasize that addressing the solid waste problem in the Al-Nasr and Al-Salam Center requires integrated administrative and community-based efforts to ensure a cleaner and more sustainable urban environment