National Solid Waste Management Programs and Policies in the City of Bujumbura
Keywords:
Solid Waste Management; Public Policy; Circular Economy; Sanitary Landfil, Bujumbura City
Abstract
Solid waste management is a major environmental challenge in Bujumbura City, where rapid growth, low public awareness, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to persistent unsanitary conditions. The objectives of this article are to analyse the evolution of national and municipal solid waste management policies, describe the main programs implemented since the 1980s, and identify the social, institutional, and environmental constraints that limit their effectiveness. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted, combining documentary analysis, institutional reports, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. We conducted sixty interviews and two focus groups. The main obstacles identified include weak institutional capacity, lack of coordination, lack of sorting at source, low community ownership, and the persistence of informal dumps. The study concludes that sustainable progress requires increased awareness, improved collection infrastructure, the creation of a sanitary landfill, and more consistent environmental governance.
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References
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31. Sujuaddin, M., Huda, S.M.S. and Hoque, R. (2008). Household solid waste characteristics and management in Chittagong (Bangladesh). Waste Management, 28 (9), 1688-1695.
32. Srangsriwong, A., Olapiriyakul, S. and Yenradee, P. (2019). Foctors influencing public and impact distance of a municipal solid waste dumpsite in Thailand. Asia-Pacific Journal of Science and Technology, 24 (1), 1-13.
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34. Tisserant, A., Pauliuk, S., Merciai, S., Scmidt, J. and Richard, J.F. (2017). Solid waste and circular economy : a global analysis of waste treatment and waste footprints. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21 (3), 628-640.
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36. Zaman, A.U and Lehmann, S. (2011). Challenges and opportunities in transforming a city into a “zero waste”. Challenges, 2(4), 73-93.
2. Ahmed, S.A. and Mansor, A.S. (2006). People as Partners: Facilitating People’s participation in Public-Private Partnerships for Solid Waste Management, Habitat International, 30 (4), 781-796.
3. Awino, F.B. and Apitz, S.E. (2024). Solid waste management in the context of the waste hierarchy and circular economy frameworks: An international critical review. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 20 (1), 9-35.
4. Bachiri, H., & El Kadiri, K. E. N. Z. A. (2024). Transformation towards Sustainable Urbanism: Hay Riad Urban Center at the Forefront of Waste Management. International Journal of Economic Studies and Management (IJESM), 4(2), 326-336.
5. Bertolini, G., & Braquez, M. (2008). Waste Management, Innovations and Territories: Experiential Reviews and Contextual Research. Markets and Organization, (2), 92-113.
6. Bogusz, M., Matysik-Pejas, R., Krasnodębski, A. and Dziekńsk, P. (2021). The concept of zero waste in the context of supporting environmental protection by consumers. Energies, 14 (18), 5964.
7. Bundhoo, Z.M. (2018). Solid waste management in least developed countries: current status and challenges faced. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 20 (3), 1867-1877.
8. Burundi. (2000). Law No. 1/010 on the Environmental Code of the Republic of Burundi of 30 June 2000.
9. Citeretse, L., & Walter, H. E. C. Q. (2008). Household solid waste in Bujumbura city (Burundi): What prospects for sustainable management. Master in Environmental Sciences and Management, IGEAT, Free University of Brussels.
10. Curran, T. and Williams, I.D. (2012). A zero waste vision for industrial networks in Europe. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 27, 3-7.
11. Debrah, J.K., Vidal, D.G. and Dinis, M.A.P. (2021). Raising awareness on solid waste management through formal education for sustainability: A developing countries evidence review. Recycling, 6 (1).
12. Desa, A., Abd Kadir, N.B. and Yusoof, F. (2011). A study on the Knowledge, attitudes, awareness status and behaviour concerning solid waste management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 18, 643-648.
13. Ezeudu, O.B. and Ezeudu, T.S. (2019). Implementation of circular economy principles in industrial solid waste management: Case studies from a developing economy (Nigeria). Recycling, 4 (4), 42.
14. Fadhullah, W., Imran, N.I.N., Ismail., S.N.S. et al. (2022). Household solid waste management practices and perceptions among residents in the East Coast of Malaysia. BMC Public Health, 22 (1), https: //doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12274-7
15. Garcier, R. J. (2014). Disperse, confine or recycle? Law, management modes and spatial circulations of low radioactive waste in France. Space Geographic, 43(3), 265-283.
16. Hasan, S.(2004). Public awareness is key to successful waste management. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, 39 (2), 483-492.
17. Jones, N., Evangelinos, K., Halvadakis, C.P., Iosifides, T. and Sopholous, C.M. (2010). Social factors influencing perceptions and willingness to pay for a market-based policy aiming on solid waste management. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 54 (9), 533-540.
18. Kabanyegeye, H., Useni Sikuzani, Y., Sambieni, K.R., Masharabu, T., Havyarimana, F. and Bogaert, J. (2021). Thirty-three years of spatial dynamics of land use in the city of Bujumbura, Republic of Burundi, Afrique Science, 18 (1), 203-215.
19. Kapekula, K.M., Colson, G., Sabri, K. and Thonart, P. (2007). A multiple criteria analysis for household solid waste management in the urban community of Dakar. Waste Management , 27 (11), 1690-1705.
20. Kokkinos, K., Karayannis, V., Lakioti, E. and Moustakas, K. (2019). Exploring social determinants of municipal solid waste management: survery processing with fuzzy logic and self-organized maps. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26 (35), 35288-35304.
21. Licy, C.D., Vivek, R., Saritha, K., Anies, T.K. and Josephina, C.T. (2013). Awareness, attitud and practice of school students towards household waste management. Journal of Environmental, 2(6), 147-150.
22. Long, O.O. and Ukpeber, E.F. (2009). People’s perception on household solid waste management in Ojo Local Governement Area in Nigeria. Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering (IJEHSE), 6 (3), 201-208.
23. Lorrain, D. (2001). The Waste Sector in the United States (I). Flow, 1(48), 73-83.
24. Madinah, N. (2016). Solid Waste Management System: Public Private Partnership, the Best System for Developing Countries. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, 6(4), 57-67.
25. Mandpe, A., Paliya, S., Gedam, V.V., Patel, S. and Tyagi, L. (2023). Circular economy approach for sutainable solid waste management: A developing economy perspective. Waste Management and Research, 41 (3), 499-511.
26. Muller, P. and Surel, Y. (1998). Public policies analysis, Paris, Montchrestien.
27. Ndabarushimana, A., and Ndikumana, C. (2020). Fight Against Unhealthiness within the Local Communities of the City Hall of Bujumbura: Analysis of the Role of the Cooperative ‘‘Isuku Iwacu’’ of the Kinama Zone, European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 16(32), https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2020.v16n32p78
28. Ngabirano, E., Nke Ndih, J., Bigumandondera, P., Manirambona, J.B. & Nsengiyumva, V. ( 2025). The Bujumbura city facing the challenges of household solid waste management: contribution to the anthropology of development. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 13(7), 728-738.
29. Rodríguez-Guerreiro, M.J., Torrijos, V. and Soto, M. (2024). A Review of Waste Management in Higher Education Institutions: The Road to Zero Waste and Sustainability. Environments, 11 (12), 293.
30. SETEMU. (1996). Study of solid waste and sludge disposal of Bujumbura city. Bujumbura : Régie des Services Techniques Municipaux (SETEMU), Bujumbura.
31. Sujuaddin, M., Huda, S.M.S. and Hoque, R. (2008). Household solid waste characteristics and management in Chittagong (Bangladesh). Waste Management, 28 (9), 1688-1695.
32. Srangsriwong, A., Olapiriyakul, S. and Yenradee, P. (2019). Foctors influencing public and impact distance of a municipal solid waste dumpsite in Thailand. Asia-Pacific Journal of Science and Technology, 24 (1), 1-13.
33. Tilaye, M. and Van, D.M.P. ( 2014). Private Sector Participation in Solid Waste Collection in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) by involving Micro-Enterprises. Waste Management and Research, 32 (1), 79-87.
34. Tisserant, A., Pauliuk, S., Merciai, S., Scmidt, J. and Richard, J.F. (2017). Solid waste and circular economy : a global analysis of waste treatment and waste footprints. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21 (3), 628-640.
35. UN-HABITAT. (2012). Burundi: Urban Profile of Bujumbura, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Nairobi.
36. Zaman, A.U and Lehmann, S. (2011). Challenges and opportunities in transforming a city into a “zero waste”. Challenges, 2(4), 73-93.
Published
2026-01-31
How to Cite
Ngabirano, E., Ndih, J. N., Bigumandondera, P., Nsengiyumva, V., Manirambona, J. B., & Ntavuna, M. N. (2026). National Solid Waste Management Programs and Policies in the City of Bujumbura. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 22(2), 89. https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2026.v22n2p89
Section
ESJ Humanities
Copyright (c) 2026 Emmanuel Ngabirano, Jean Nke Ndih, Patrice Bigumandondera, Venerand Nsengiyumva, Jean Bosco Manirambona, Marc Nyamugabo Ntavuna
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
