Domestic Solid Waste Management in Rural Areas - case study of the Waorani Nampa Community, Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

This study focused on the proposal of an integrated solid household waste management system in the rural community of Waorani Nampa belonging to the Waorani indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In this community, the burning of domestic solid waste is the only man-agement strategy commonly used, which has generated diverse environmental and health im-pacts on the population. Therefore, here we focused on diagnosing the socio-environmental con-dition of the community through surveys in order to determine the average daily per capita pro-duction of domestic solid waste. This was done through a characterization applying the method-ology of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the development of a proposal for a management model appropriate to the current demographic characteristics, from environmental education to final disposal. The results obtained determined that the average PPC of the commu-nity is 0.343 kg/person/day and the predominant category was the organic fraction with 64.20% of a total of 31.15 kg of solid waste produced. Finally, as initiatives for adequate management and use, it was proposed that an area be adapted to generate compost and a recycling system to obtain economic resources for the benefit of the population