Open Dumpsite

The projection for municipal solid waste (MSW) generation indicates a significant rise,
reaching an estimated 3.4 billion tons by 2050. Unfortunately, this notable increase in
waste production is accompanied by various mismanagement issues. These problems
encompass inadequate adherence to the essential principles of the 3R approach (reduce,
reuse, recycle), inefficient waste transportation and collection systems, and inappropriate
waste closure techniques. (1)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an open dumpsite as an illicit

disposal site where solid waste is carelessly discarded, posing potential threats to human
well-being and the environment. Open dumpsite typically manifests as abandoned heaps
of refuse that attract disease-carrying organisms like rodents and insects and hold the
potential to give rise to air pollution-related damage and contamination of groundwater
and runoff.

Although open dumpsites might offer a seemingly inexpensive solution for waste
disposal, they come with many significant disadvantages. These drawbacks include the
creation of health hazards due to the proliferation of insects and rodents, the potential for
damage stemming from air pollution, and the introduction of pollutants into groundwater
and runoff systems. (2)

The quantity of generated solid waste naturally surges in areas experiencing a steady
influx of urban residents. Over time, this waste undergoes slow aerobic and anaerobic
decomposition processes, yielding substantial quantities of leachate. This leachate
contains decomposed byproducts, heavy metals, and various hazardous contaminants. Of
particular concern is the potential for these substances to infiltrate underground aquifers,
posing a considerable challenge to both environmental and human well-being.

Some open dump practices (e.g., in Myanmar) are as follows:

a. Controlled Dumping: Waste is disposed of without adequate protection but in a

controlled manner. This might involve actions like occasional soil covering, bulldozing
of waste piles, and rudimentary leachate collection. This method is common in larger
towns and is managed by the relevant authorities.

b. Open-air Burning: This involves the uncontrolled burning of stored waste at dumpsites
to reduce waste volume. Waste is burned regularly, either continuously, after waste
delivery, or weekly. It is ignited by waste workers or scavengers at the dumpsite.

c. Leaking Dumps: These are designated dumpsites where solid waste regularly leaks into
the environment. This typically occurs because these dumpsites are located on mountain
slopes or near waterways.
 d. Uncollected (Illegal) Dumping: In this scenario, waste is discarded freely by the
community without centralized management. This includes practices like household
burning and direct disposal of waste into waterways or unused land. This type of waste
disposal is prevalent in village tracts and small river towns. (3)

Developing nations often confront the challenge of open dumpsites due to financial
limitations and a shortage of trained personnel. Unfortunately, these practices are
exacerbated by inadequate governmental policies. As a result, open dump incidents in the
ASEAN region have given rise to notable environmental, health, and safety concerns.
The combination of inadequate waste management practices, insufficient infrastructure,
and high population density contributes to the occurrence of such incidents. Noteworthy
examples of open dump incidents within ASEAN include:

(i) Payatas Tragedy, Philippines (July 2000): The collapse of a massive garbage heap
at the Payatas open dumpsite in Quezon City resulted in a tragic landslide. This
disaster claimed the lives of approximately 200 people, many of whom were
informal waste pickers and their families.
(ii) Leuwigajah Disaster, Indonesia (February 2005): The Leuwigajah dumpsite near
Bandung experienced a massive waste slide, causing a devastating landslide. The
incident resulted in the loss of 147 lives and extensive damage to nearby
settlements. (6)

Therefore, a comprehensive and well-managed SWM (Solid Waste Management) system

is crucial for minimizing environmental impacts, promoting public health, and ensuring
the sustainable management of waste. To overcome the challenges of the unaware open
dump practices, the following practices should be considered; (i) improving waste
collection and selective collection coverage of municipal areas, (ii) introducing
awareness and information campaigns, (iii) implementing appropriate treatment systems
with regulations and control agencies,(iv) improving final disposal sites and its
management, (v) enhancing financial sustainability of the systems and(vi) introducing
future management plans are all practices required for improving the integrated SWM
system of a country, region, municipality or rural area. (7)

Ref:

1. M.A. Budihardjo et al., 2023, “Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste”,
Alexandria Engineering Journal (2023) 69, 771–783
2. https://www.gdrc.org/uem/waste/disposal.html
3. https://www.thantmyanmar.com/sites/thantmyanmar.com/files/documents-file/
diggingthrough_final_draft.pdf
4. Adedinni, M.O., Arogundade, A.B., Ore, O.T. et al. Geophysical and geochemical study of the contaminant
impact of Oke-Tage solid waste dumpsite, Southwestern Nigeria. Sci Rep 13, 4704 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31948-3
5. S.M. Ali et al. (2014), “Open dumping of municipal solid waste and its hazardous impacts on soil and
vegetation diversity”, Journal of King Saud University – Science (2014) 26, 59–65
 6. Michikazu Kojima, “Toward Regional Cooperation of Local Governments in ASEAN”, ERIA
Collaborative/Support Research Report, IDE-JETRO, 2019
7. Ferronato N, Torretta V. Waste Mismanagement in Developing Countries: A Review of Global Issues. Int
J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Mar 24;16(6):1060. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16061060. PMID: 30909625;
PMCID: PMC6466021.

By: Moe Thazin Shwe, SOLEN Research Associate – IPC panel member
Edited by: Hendra WINASTU, SOLEN Principal Associate – IPC panel coordinator
Date: 10 August 2023
Article#: SOLEN-IPC-0023

Photo source: Photo: © UN-Habitat Myanmar