Analyzing the structure of barriers to municipal solid waste management policy planning in Maputo city, Mozambique

A waste management policy is crucial to establish an effective and satisfactory waste management system. However, the establishment of waste policies is hindered by several multi-faceted and interrelated barriers, particularly in developing countries, adding complexity to already complex waste management tasks. Thus, this study aims to assess the barriers to a waste management policy in Maputo City, the capital of Mozambique, and to identify the most onerous barriers to the effective implementation of the policy through the combined application of the structural modeling methods, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL). The structures of the interrelationships of the barriers were effectively clarified: ISM provided the hierarchical structure, and DEMATEL provided the cause and effect structure. The results indicated that institutional structural weakness and a lack of cooperation among stakeholders are the major contributors to poor waste policy performance in Maputo City. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.