Strategic Policies for Achieving Zero Waste to Landfills in the Gaza Strip

Abstract

The solid waste (SW) issue is one of the largest environmental challenges and problems that facing all communities around the world. But the solid waste problem in the Gaza Strip is a complex problem from a different kind, where the scarcity of land prevent establishing a new sanitary landfills instead of the current saturated landfills after exceeding of its design period. Existing landfills are rehabilitated from time to time in order to receive more quantities of SW that reached to high limit 1.333 million tons yearly from the following sources: (1. MSW: Households, Commercials, Governmental and NGO’s, 2. Construction and Demolition Waste, 3. Agricultural Waste, 4. Industrial Waste, 5. HealthCare Waste). The problem become worse due to rapid population growth and real estate developments that creeping toward existing landfills, where 1.8 million inhabitants live in the narrow coastal strip with area of 365 km2. This merit looking for other radical solutions in the Gaza Strip instead of traditional temporary solution of opening new dumping sites or expanding it for mitigation the problem. The solid waste management (SWM) is a purely engineering function from jurisdiction of engineering and management of infrastructure. So this research has reviewed the issue and all related currently aspects of SWM in the Gaza Strip through data collection from: local and international related published studies in this field, and by some of meetings with specialized experts and by visiting current landfills to preview the reality. Hereafter, strategic policies are proposed which covering all aspects of SWM system in order to minimize the solid waste going to landfills gradually at the short term and even reach up to (Zero Waste) at the long term. Where each policy are created from suggested key actions and appropriate motivation system by proposing a set of financial and non-financial incentives in order to prompt the waste generators toward respecting the well healthy activities for implementing these proposed strategic policies within an integrated framework for SWM (i.e. ISWM Model) in the Gaza Strip. These proposed policies were examined using (Qualitative research) through a questionnaire containing exploratory and attribute questions, where sample of 113 questionnaire were investigated. Results showed that there is a clear willingness from waste generators in the Gaza Strip for implementing of the policy of (Source separation of SW), which considered as the backbone of any successful program for waste recovery that followed by recycling, composting or energy recovery. Also, the selected sample were accepted to deal with the proportional payment for waste service which known as (Pay As You Throw- PAYT) if it’s equitable. The study found out that Solid Waste Management Council (SWMC) is more efficient to manage this sector. Results also showed that it is possible to involve the private sector in SWM in the Gaza Strip. It’s recommended to make (Pilot Study) within the frame of these proposed strategic policies in the appropriate places for each SW source from mentioned sources previously. The pilot study can be done after further exploratory survey for larger strips in the Gaza Strip to going deeply into these issues. The study also recommended to create suitable instruments, laws and specifications for SWM in the Gaza Strip, through re-formulating of the Palestinian Environmental Law 1999 No.(7).