The DPSIR Model for Environmental Risk Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste in Dar es Salaam City, Tanzania

Abstract

Environmental risk has become an area of major concern and research, drawing special attention. This study on the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of Dar es Salaam Municipal Solid Waste comes at a time when the Government of Tanzania is becoming increasingly concerned about dealing with high levels of pollution from municipal solid waste (MSW). The paper employed the Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model to establish an environmental risk indicator system and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate and analyze risk values, based on the actual situation of MSW in the city of Dar es Salaam. It lists several measures that have been taken in response to the current significantly high levels of pollution, which have assisted in maintaining the environmental risk index (ERI) at a medium level (0.4–0.6) during the period from 2006–2017. However, these measures have not been adequate enough to manage the external pressure. The ERI has been increasing gradually, calling for timely formulation of demand-specific waste management policies to reduce the possibility of reaching the critical point in near future. With the use of the DPSIR model for ERA, this study has become highly valuable, providing empirical justification to reduce environmental risk from MSW, which is one of the main sources of environmental pollution in the urban areas of developing countries.

Failing Services on Urban Waste Management in Developing Countries: A Review on Symptoms, Diagnoses, and Interventions

“…The percentage of un-serviced households in low-and middle-income countries, as reported in the reviewed publications, shows a very broad range of 5%-88%. Kaza et al report that this percentage goes down when countries and cities develop [2], whereas other researchers report increasing percentages of un-serviced households for Nairobi and Dar es Salaam [44,45].…”

“…Their role is frequently appreciated for its prevention of public spending on waste collection and treatment [1,17,60], although this role also has its downsides on, for example, improper waste handling, working circumstances, and child labor, as reported by [18,61]. Kazuva et al observe that informal sector players are only interested in collection and recycling as long as high market prices are available [45]. This affects the continuity of their services.…”

“…Bjerkli revealed how abuse of power may bread nepotism and disrupt needed development of urban SWM-knowledge and experience through political appointments of staff [48]. On the opposite side, Kazuva et al argue that government responses to SWM challenges are often too weak and inadequate and, in this neglect, may worsen the situation over a longer period of time [45]. Cetrulo et al claim that political interference in operational and judicial issues, tend to be detrimental, as not always SWM interests are served [52].…”

Maasai Livelihoods, Terrestrial Wild Megafauna and Ecosystem Services Synergies and Tradeoffs in the Savannas of Kenya: Scenarios and Implications of Climate Change in DPSIR Model

“…In fact, elsewhere, studies on coupled socio-ecological systems have used the DPSIR model to provide practical alternative for management decisions using the case of water quality management on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the USA. It must be pointed out that the DPSIR model is both extensively documented and applied as an approach for guiding research and supporting decision-making [38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48]. Thus it should be clear: the application of the DPSIR model is not entirety unique for the current study.…”

“…The DPSIR model avails a practical approach toward unveiling the conditions and pathways generating those disharmonies. The DPSIR model [39,41,42,45,47,48] provides a practical framework by which to explore the interactions of traditional and emerging livelihood strategies/diversifications, economically important terrestrial wild vertebrate faunas, and shared ecosystem services across the Maasaiinhabited rangelands; to unveil the cross-scale social-biophysical drivers and pressures, and the causal-links thereof, occasioning those disharmonious emanations and indeed other persistent critical challenges; and to devise informed interventions.…”