Sustainable solid waste management in Yemen: environmental, social aspects, and challenges

Rapid population growth, urbanization, economic progress, and changing lifestyles all contributed to an increase in resource consumption and waste generation. Global solid waste generation was about 1.3 BT/year and was predicted to further increase to a tremendous amount of 2.2 BT/year by 2030. Municipal solid waste generation is increasing at a high rate, creating immense pressure on municipalities and pollution concerns for the environment. In Yemen, the quantity of municipal solid waste per capita in urban areas is 0.6 kg/day, while in rural areas it is 0.35 kg/day and the increase in the generation of Municipal solid waste is about 3%. Municipal solid waste is characterized by its diverse nature and therefore requires immediate attention for its effective management and disposal. Like most developing countries, the solid waste generated in Yemen is disposed into the landfills due to its simplicity and economical aspects while composting and incineration are rarely utilized. The disposal of waste at landfills is associated with long-term problems, such as leachate pollution, the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs), odor issues, and health concerns for the people living in nearby vicinities. Therefore, the pedal of solid waste management needs to be pressed to protect the resources, environment, and human population. Sustainable solid waste management plays an important role as it encompasses minimization of solid waste at the generation point, proper collection and disposal, utilization, and recovery of waste for energy production. The challenges and the improvement measures for solid waste management are varied for each country, depending on their social, economic, and technological development. The challenges and the improvement measures for solid waste management are varied for each country, depending on their social, economic, and technological development. The situation is gruesome in some of the countries in the Arabian Peninsula, such as Yemen. Thus, this article focused on the present condition of solid waste management, the problems associated with improper solid waste management, and the possible sustainable measures to improve the system in Sana'a, Yemen. The main landfill in Sana'a city is the Al-Azraqain, and the amount of solid waste received is 500,000 tons per year. This study also compared the condition of solid waste management in Yemen with the neighboring countries, which are similar in terms of lifestyle, climatic conditions, and topography. There are too many studies based on the other developing countries in Asia and the rest of the world. But fewer studies are available based on the details of solid waste management in Sana'a, Yemen, because of the unstable and struggling conditions prevailing there. Hence, this study will be beneficial to understand the problem and corrective measures for policymakers and environmental engineers.

Automated summary

Rapid population growth, urbanization, and economic progress have contributed to an increase in resource consumption and waste generation. However, Yemen faces challenges in solid waste management, leading to environmental and health issues associated with landfills. Sustainable solid waste management plays a crucial role in resource and environmental protection.