1. The importance of Solid Waste
Management (SWM) for Sustainable
Development (SD)
A study of Solid Waste Management for Sound
Environmental Development (SED) in Hambantota Municipal
Council, Sri Lanka.
Asiri D Vitharana,
UIA-DM, TU-CPDS, Sri Lanka
asiridvitharana@hotmail.com

2. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Content
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Objectives
• Methodology
• Research Findings
• Challenges for Hambantota Municipal
Council
• Recommendation
• Conclusion

3. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Introduction
• Sustainable development (SD) / Sound
Environmental Development (SED) has become a
catch phrase in global development agendas.
• Development and environmental practitioners see
Solid Waste Management (SWM) as a compulsory
towards Sound Environmental Development (SED).
• This study explores the importance of SWM for SD
in Hambantota Municipal Council (HMC) in Sri
Lanka.

4. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Literature Review
• Development practitioners have focused on sustainable
development (SD) as an environmental concept (Carter,
2001).
• The process of unbalanced development has its price in the
form of an increased pressure on natural resources through
inefficient and wasteful utilization (Anand,2010, p.3) .
• Solid Waste Management (SWM) is an essential task which
has important consequences for sustainability of the urban
environment and the efficiency (Schübeler, 1996, p.15).
• Today the Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is endangered and
environmental degradation has increased due to unmanaged
development and economic growth (Gunawardhana, 2005, p.
135).

5. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
• To study the characteristics of solid waste management practices in
HMC.
• To investigate the environmental impacts of solid waste management
practices in HMC.
• To assess how improved waste management practices can contribute to
sustain the development processes in Hambantota District.
• To establish an understanding of the perception among local
communities about solid waste management for sound environmental
development
Objectives :
To explore the impacts of solid waste
management on sustainable
development in the Hambantota
Municipal council, Sri Lanka.

6. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Study Area

7. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Methodolody :
Instruments :
Semi structured interview, self completion questionnaire,
focus group discussions & non participation observation
Sampling :
• Random sampling : 69 households and 59 business
population for SCQ, within 5852 households and 412
business places with expected errors 0.12% ( )
• Purposive sampling : participants for the interviews and
focus groups and self observation areas.
Analysis :
• Thematic analysis approach (SPSS)
Mixed Method

8. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Research Findings
1. The characteristics of SWM practices :
Waste generation
10%
16%
22%
4%3%6%
21%
12%
6%
House holds
39%
29%
20%
2% 5%
3% 2%
0%
0%
Business Places
Paper and Carton
Plastics
(bags/bottles)
Food waste
Tins/cans
Fiber bags
Glass
Tree Leaves
Coconut Shells
Charks

9. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
The place of primary waste disposal
0%
19% 2%
16%
30%
33%
HH
8%
49%
0%
14%
12%
17%
BP
In the public bin
waste collectors tractor
By the lake side,river or
other water bodies
By the road or street side
On an open space
In a hole in own compound
Availability of public waste bins
4%
96%
HH
17%
83%
BP
Yes
No

10. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Final disposal practices
land filling or land spreading

11. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
2. The environmental impacts of SWM practices
86%
14%
House Holds
58%
42%
Business Places
Yes
No
70%
30%
58%
42%
36%
64%57%
43%
waste on land
waste on Water
Burning waste

12. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Review of Public Perception
Satisfy with
SWM process
25%
75%
44%
56%
Yes
No
Business PlacesHouseholds
75%
6% 19%
78%
17%
5%
Yes
No
Don't
Know
Environmental
issues could be
minimized if solid
waste is managed
properly
If the SW is
major issue
affecting
environment
41%
27%
32% 41%
22%
37%

13. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Agree that the new development process has impact on solid
waste generation in the area
56%16%
28% 47%
41%
12% Yes
No
Don't
Know
Solid waste management has impact on sustainable
development
42%
12%
46%
House Holds
32%
3%
65%
Business Places
Yes
No
Don't
Know

14. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
3. SWM and challenges for SD
Development Process
SW generation
Lack of Proper Waste
Management
Challenge the existence of
Natural environment and Eco
System
• Lack of Proper SWM
practices has significant
affected the natural
environment and finally the
Sound Environmental
Development (SED) in HMC
Will the Development
be sustainable?

15. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Challenges for SWM in HMC
• The lack of waste separation and recycling practices,
• The absence of sanitary land filling and inadequate
processes by Hambantota Integrated Solid Waste
Management Centre.
• The absence of practical usage of regulation and laws
• Lack of awareness , Information and education
• Lack of resources at local levels to manage waste
• Lack of technical knowledge and weak and slow financial
resources mobilization
• Lack of synergy between community and officials

16. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Recommendations
• The well formed solid waste management is the only way to
reduce the impact of MSW on the environment and finally SD.
• Prioritize waste avoidance with recycling and improve other
forms of environmentally sound disposal practices (home
based composting)
• Actively involve community and all institutions for
environmentally sound solid waste management practices
• Improve the awareness and education about SWM and its
impacts
• Reaching the community effectively with information regarding
importance of SD and SWM
• Include SWM policies in to development Project

17. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Conclusion
• SWM is the backbone of Sustainable Development
• The inadequate SWM has caused significant challenges for
Sound Environmental Development (SED) in HMC
• Proper waste management process is a necessity to sustain the
development process.
• The strength of this research study
– is the case study’s setting which is the newly developed area, HMC,
Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
– The study incorporates the views of the HMC community to
explore their level of understanding of Solid Waste Management,
environmental and sustainable development.
– This is strength because community views have been largely
examined with the research.

18. Asiri D Vitharana -
dvmadhavi@gmail.com
Thank You!
Asiri D Vitharana
UIA – DM, TU-CPDS
Sri Lanka
airidvitharana@hotmail.com
Questions and comments?