Contribution Of Solid Waste Trade On Improving Household Livelihood In Tanzania The Case Of Three Selected Wards In Dodoma Municipal Council

ABSTRACT

Solid waste management is one of current development challenge facing fast growing

towns in developing economies resulting in human health hazards and environmental

degradation. Solid waste however has been regarded as an urban disgrace. This study

therefore aimed at examining the contribution of solid waste trade to household livelihood

in Tanzania. Cross-sectional research design was used by the researcher to study variables

in their natural way. The researcher used individual interviews, Focused Group Discussion

and Observation methods to collect primary data as well as documentary review method

for secondary data collection. The information collected was coded and analyzed by using

descriptive statistics where frequencies and respondents’ percentages were presented in

charts, tables and histogram. This study found that solid waste trade contributes to

household livelihood. Like any other business however, the trade faces a couple of

challenges ranging from lack of working capital, operating with inadequate business

skills, low level of government investment in solid waste recycling and management to

low levels of community awareness on solid waste management. These challenges make

solid waste remain informal and at subsistent level. It is therefore concluded that, joint

venture in solid waste trade is a strategy to improve this trade in the study area.

Suggestions were put forward for the government and private sector to improve the sector

and these include; allocation of designated business venues, provision of soft loans,

capacity building in business skills and developing mechanisms to regulate the products’

prices.