Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

Doctor John Van Buren

Abstract

This study investigates the rising solid waste management (SWM) dilemma in Greater Khartoum City (GKC), a critical environmental and public health issue caused by fast urbanization and inadequate infrastructure, with historical linkages to Sudan's colonial and postcolonial growth. Chapter 1 describes the current problem using quantitative and qualitative data, demonstrating that GKC produces approximately 3,340 tons of waste each day, with 56% organic matter, 8% plastics, and 16% paper. Collection efficiency remains severely poor, at 31.5%. Informal recyclers known as Nakasha or Barkata collect approximately 7% of total waste, supporting roughly 3,900 people, whereas filthy open dumps and unsorted medical waste pose major health dangers. Importantly, the chapter examines the role of ecosystem services in the SWM crisis, assessing how inadequate waste management disrupts vital services such as water purification, soil fertility, biodiversity protection, and air quality regulation, demonstrating that SWM is not only a technical and economic issue, but also an ecological and social one. The region's three operating landfills lack necessary safeguards. The roots and implications of this issue are explored in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 using environmental history, ecological economics, and environmental politics and law. Chapter 2 examines how colonial and post-colonial urban expansion outpaced garbage infrastructure, resulting in the current crisis. Chapter 3 looks at economic and policy issues, finding that waste collection fees paid just approximately half of operational costs in 2019. It takes into account private sector engagement, large-scale organic composting, and recycling programs, as well as the impact of international financial institutions on national policy.Chapter 4 discusses environmental justice and politics, demonstrating how unmanaged waste disproportionately damages low-income communities and emphasizing impediments such as loose regulations and a lack of significant public consultations during environmental assessments. Using these studies, Chapter 5 makes policy recommendations for a sustainable SWM system.

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