Socio-Economic Determinants of Domestic Solid Waste Generation: Special Reference to Kesbewa Municipal Area, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The generation of Domestic Solid Waste (DSW) has become a growing environmental and public health problem, specifically in developing countries (Bandara et al, 2007). So the DSW management is a significant role of urban authorities and it is straightly interrelated with the protection of environmental wellbeing and human health and also it is indirectly interrelated with living standards of people. The rapid increase in solid waste generation due to accelerated urban population growth, unplanned urbanization, and increasing economic activities, has become a crucial problem in all countries regardless of the development status of them (Kwetey, 2014). With the current stage of rapid urbanization, relevant authorities in Sri Lanka are also suffering serious difficulties in addressing this problem. The waste generation amount in Sri Lanka has increased from around 6,400 ton/day in 1999 to 10,786 ton/day since 2009 due to the economic growth after the end of the civil war (JICA, 2016). According to critical view of literature, there are lack of preliminary and regular study has been conducted in Sri Lanka on this concerns. Sri Lanka does not draw attention to this problem may be heightened in the future in many folds than it is today unless alternatives are designed to address it and also findings of this study can be used to get information to implement the management system for solid waste