Prospects for Community Participation In Solid Waste Management: a Case of Korogwe Town Council, Tanga Region, Tanzania

This research project is focused on solid waste management system in Korogwe Town Council as well as drawing the relationship between Community Based Organization and community participation on solid waste management system in study area. The study describes the important factors that are likely to affect implementation of solid waste management system in Korogwe Town Council. The study was premised on the argument that the Town Council lack resources for implementation of waste management services leading to poor waste management service. Two research questions were formulated to guide the inquiry. The first research question sought to establish whether community participation in solid waste management could help to solve the problem of poor implementation of solid waste disposal services provided by Korogwe Town Council. The second research question aimed at finding answers as to whether decentralization of solid waste management to community could help to improve the solid waste services in Korogwe Town Council. The study also probed in the ways the community members could be mobilized to participate on solid waste management system. A combination of research methods was employed in data collection including: SWOT analysis of a local CBO, PM approaches, participant observation and a questionnaire survey. The results revealed that community based organization could be an important institutions in facilitating the improvement of solid waste Management service in Korogwe Town Council. Also community participation in formulating of waste management by - laws could help to improve solid waste disposal in the township. Effective legislation and enforcement were found to be the best ways to incorporate the CBOs in the council solid waste management system in the study area Community members have expressed willingness to participate in solid waste disposal programs. Advantages, which community members can attain through participating in solid waste management include: income generation, environmental conservation and sanitation improvement. It was recommended that in order to attain a sustainable solid waste management system m in Korogwe town council there is a need for community participation in legislation and enforcement of regulations for implementing solid waste management in the study area. Furthermore, it was recommended that both local NGOs and CBOs have important roles in facilitating community participation in solid waste management. For implementation of recommendations a project proposal for funding was developed for Baraka Bahati 2000 CBO, as a measure for capacity building of a local CBO which has taken initiatives to participate in solid waste management in the study are