Municipal Solid Waste Management in the Kingdom of Bahrain: Practices and Way for Sustainable Performance

Abstract

Abstract : The MSW system in the Kingdom of Bahrain was comprehensively evaluated to identify its weaknesses and gaps. In addition, it quantified the current MSW generation and projected the future generation, based on per capita generation. The MW landfill available spaces/volume and remaining lifespan were quantified for different recycling and compaction scenarios. It was found in the research conducted that MSW disposal at Asker landfill increased by 74.421% from 1,034,921.1 tons in 2005 to 1,805,124.2 tons in 2016 (in 11 years), with a growth rate of 6.77%. This increase was associated with an increase of 65.69% in the disposal quantities of the DWS for the same period, which was also associated with an increase of 54.17% in the population size An estimate of the remaining lifespan of the landfill based on different scenarios was found using the available data and mathematical modeling. It was shown that by mid-2018, the Asker landfill site will reach its carrying capacity for the current baseline scenario, and therefore the current practice is considered unsustainable for handling the future MSW generation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A sanitary landfill must be considered an urgent top-priority action plan for the Kingdom of Bahrain was revealed, in order to cope with the near-future MSW generation. In addition, the management of the already segregated MSW streams received at the landfill site can be relied upon within the country's current capacity (e.g., C&D building waste, dead animals, WT) as a short-term work plan that can be initiated as a first step towards the holistic management of this sector. Furthermore, improving the MSW compaction Efficiency at the landfill site as a short-term action plan would result in expanding its lifespan through a remarkable outcome. MSW disposal should not rely solely on disposal at sanitary landfills dedicated to such waste; the principles of waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery should play a key role in the management of this sector within long-term action plans