Socio-environmental impacts of landfill site in Nduba sector, Kigali, Rwanda

Currently, solid disposal is a significant challenge in urban cities. In particular, Kigali City generates thousands of tons of solid waste to be transported and discarded in one city's landfill on a daily basis. It has contributed to the rise of social and environmental problems near the Nduba landfill. Previous studies have emphasized types of waste (liquid and solid) but have been unable to demonstrate land use and cover change because of solid waste disposal since its establishment in 2012. The study aimed to evaluate spatiotemporal changes vis a vis the social and environmental implications of solid waste disposal in the Nduba sector. Primary data were collected within a defined study area, whereas secondary data relied on remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) data. Images of land use/cover were used for spatial analysis and changes before and after landfill establishment. The findings of this study indicate that land use/cover has changed considerably in the last decade. For instance, the built-up area increased within the study area from 69.21 ha to 187.56 ha in 2001 and 2019, respectively. The change detection of land use/cover indicates that the size of the landfill increased by 18.79 ha in 2019. Forest land has reduced from 199.8 ha in 2001 to 104.49 ha in 2019. Even though authorities around the landfill have established a buffer of 400 m, it remains evident that the socioenvironment impacts are likely to happen 1,000 m from the current landfill's boundary. Despite public and private efforts to handle solid waste on-site, residents of Nduba claimed that the landfill had substantial social and environmental impacts.