Future prospects of CDM framework to develop a sustainable landfill system in Bangladesh to replace open dumping
Uncontrolled dumping of solid waste around the world becomes one of the major striking social and environmental issues.
The majority of these are located in the developing countries, which generate the solid waste with high rapidly biodegradable fraction. In Bangladesh, like other Least Developed Asian Countries (LDACs), ultimate disposal sites of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) are situated in and around the city areas at low-lying open spaces, unclaimed land, riverbanks and roadsides (WasteSafe 2005). Even in some city authorities do not have any specific place for ultimate disposal. Such disposal sites do not have minimum infrastructure requirements and environmental protections, as a result, present open dumping practices pose to high threat to health and environment. There are no controlled/engineered/sanitary landfills in Bangladesh; however, recently Dhaka City Corporation has taken an initiative to convert ‘Matuail Open Dumping Site’ into the Engineered Landfill. Due to severe financial constraints and the priorities to other sectors such as food, shelter, health and education, central and local governments are not able to address this social and environmental issue despite the realization that the only affordable disposal solution in Bangladesh for the foreseeable future - is to establish engineered landfills.
Landfill gas (LFG) is composed of about 50% methane, is a natural by-product of decomposing organic matter disposed in landfills, and a greenhouse gas when released to the atmosphere. Due to higher GWP of CH4 as 21 times of CO2, much interest has been aroused in GHG reduction in waste handling and disposal fields accounting for more than 20% of total registered projects under CDM framework of Kyoto Protocol as per recent statistics. More exactly, dominant projects activity has been focused on landfill gas (LFG) flaring or recovery as energy. Besides from GHG emission, the discussion of traditional landfill is always involved in environmental or sanitary problems, as well as the utilization of waste materials. Capturing and using LFG in these ways can yield substantial energy, economic, environmental, air quality, and public health benefits.
Recently, it is estimated that in the six major cities of Bangladesh total generated MSW is 2808 Gg/year, while this figures are 1755 Gg/year for 298 municipalities and 620 Gg/year for 210 urban centres. It is estimated that generated MSW from the above mentioned sectors will contribute LGF as equivalent CO2 of 3782, 2449 and 892 Gg/year, respectively. It appears that the CDM projects related to the conversion of existing open dumps throughout the country can able to attract direct investment from Annex I countries to fulfil their commitments to reduce the GHG emission at the designated level by the year of 2012 ensuring the reduction of GHG emission and sustainable development. Despite one of the initiators of Kyoto Protocol, one of the lowest GHG emission countries, and the timely formation of Designated National Authority (DNA), Bangladesh has failed to take the opportunity. The involvement of private sectors from home and abroad can come forward to solve this issue with sustainable technology and finance. In this context, Bangladesh can take the advantages of CDM projects to bring direct foreign investment to convert the open dumps of MSW into sustainable landfills based on the socio-economic settings, technological capabilities and recent two experiences - conversion of Matuail open dumping site at Dhaka into semi-aerobic landfill and Pilot scale sanitary landfill at Khulna.
