Facilitating the improved management of waste in South Africa through a national waste information system

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Waste Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2007.06.002· OSTI ID:21153987

Godfrey, Linda ^[1]

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1. CSIR, Natural Resources and the Environment, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa)

Developing a waste information system (WIS) for a country is more than just about collecting routine data on waste; it is about facilitating the improved management of waste by providing timely, reliable information to the relevant role-players. It is a means of supporting the waste governance challenges facing South Africa - challenges ranging from strategic waste management issues at national government to basic operational challenges at local government. The paper addresses two hypotheses. The first is that the identified needs of government can provide a platform from which to design a national WIS framework for a developing country such as South Africa, and the second is that the needs for waste information reflect greater, currently unfulfilled challenges in the sustainable management of waste. Through a participatory needs analysis process, it is shown that waste information is needed by the three spheres of government, to support amongst others, informed planning and decision-making, compliance monitoring and enforcement, community participation through public access to information, human, infrastructure and financial resource management and policy development. These needs for waste information correspond closely with key waste management challenges currently facing the country. A shift in governments approach to waste, in line with national and international policy, is evident from identified current and future waste information needs. However, the need for information on landfilling remains entrenched within government, possibly due to the poor compliance of landfill sites in South Africa and the problems around the illegal disposal of both general and hazardous waste.

• OSTI ID: 21153987
• Journal Information: Waste Management, Vol. 28, Issue 9; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2007.06.002; PII: S0956-053X(07)00188-2; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0956-053X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DECISION MAKING
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
INFORMATION NEEDS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
NONRADIOACTIVE WASTES
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SANITARY LANDFILLS