Solid waste damps are seriously spoiling the environmental conditions in developing countries. Negative environmental impacts from improper solid waste dumping can be easily observed everywhere in the developing world. In Pakistan, due to a lack of proper planning and funding, the solid waste management scenario is becoming worse day by day. To highlight the main causes of improper solid waste management in developing countries, Rawalpindi city is selected as a case study. This city is facing miserable solid waste management crises due to rapid industrialization, urbanization and insufficient funding. Improper solid waste dumps are spreading different diseases in the study area. It is investigated during the research that due to rapid growth in population, increments in solid waste generation rate, management deficiencies, lack of legislative implementation and funding, the solid waste management systems of Rawalpindi are not working effectively. The major causes for the inefficient municipal solid waste management systems in Rawalpindi are the unintended invasion of the city, severe weather conditions, lack of social awareness/community involvement, improper resources including improper equipment and lack of funds. An inefficient municipal solid waste management system may create serious negative environmental impacts like infectious diseases, land and water pollution, obstruction of drains and loss of biodiversity.

Improper solid waste management is causing negative impacts in Pakistan. To investigate the causes Rawalpindi city was selected as a case study. The situation is becoming very complex in the city due to industrialization, urbanization and improved living standards of urban areas, as these things are the cause of drastic increase in the quantity and complexity of generated waste. From this research, it is revealed that we have two major problems due to poor solid waste management, i.e. communicable diseases and unhygienic environment. Because of high growth rate, high waste generation rate, lack of efficient management and legislation, existing solid waste management systems in the city are not working properly. The main reasons for the failure of municipal solid waste management systems are unplanned annexation of the city, extreme weather conditions, lack of public awareness/community involvement, improper resources including improper equipment and lack of funds. Failure of the municipal solid waste management system has serious environmental impacts like infectious diseases, land and air pollution, blockage of drains and water pollution in natural streams.