PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF HOUSHOLD SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN FINOTE-SELAM TOWN, WEST GOJAM ZONE, AMHARA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The fast growth of urban populations, high resource consumption, and growth of technologies have caused a dramatic growth in urban solid waste volumes and generation with environmental and public health issues associated with water contamination, emission of poisonous and dangerous gases, soil pollution, and introduction of disease vector populations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the practices and challenges of household solid waste management in Finote Selam town, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The researcher employed descriptive and triangulation mixed research design for this study. The study tried to test the socio-economic factors influencing the solid waste generation of the respondents in the urban area by using a multiple linear regression model. The researcher employed a simple random sampling technique to select sample respondents. A total of 395 respondents were surveyed. The findings indicated that the sample household respondents were replied that lack of awareness 55%, dumping site problems 26%, high resource consumptions 15%, and lack of containers 4% were the major caused factors for high solid waste generation in the town and aggravated socio-economic and environmental pollutions. Additionally, the results revealed that 40.1% variance in solid waste generated and stored in Kg/day can be accounted for by thirteen predictors collectively: F (13, 381) =19.620, p<.001). Looking at the unique contributions of the predictors and the results showed that sex (β =.228, t = 5.256, p < .001), age (β = .091, t = 2.266, p = .024), family size (β = -.108, t = - 2.632, p = .009), marital status (β = -.248, t = - 5.491, p < .001), and shortage of technology (β = .368, t = 7.942, p < .001), were the major factor for solid waste generation in Finote-selam town. As the findings indicated that inappropriate solid waste management practices and methods of disposal of solid waste caused different health problems.