What is open dumping?
Open dumping is a prevalent municipal solid waste (MSW) management practice. Each year, approximately 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste generated globall and roughly 40 per cent of the world's waste ends up in open dumpsites. This practice is particularly widespread in middle and lower-income countries, whereformal waste collection systems are limited. For example, up to 90 per cent of waste is openly dumped in many African cities, and 45 per cent in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
While open dumping is a cost-effective waste management option, it has significant adverse effects on the environment and public health. Emissions from open dumping, including dioxins, furans, mercury and other hazardous substances, contribute to air, water and soil pollution.
Individuals working at these sites and surrounding communities face a high risk of inhaling and ingesting toxic substances. There is also a threat of diseases spreading due to poor sanitation and the presence of insects and vectors.
Despite regional variations, mismanagement of waste, exemplified by open dumping, is a global critical issue contributing to the triple planetary crisis - climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
UNEP’s approach to open dumping
A solution to this issue extends beyond the closure of open dumpsites. UNEP has adopted an integrated waste management approach, collaborating with multiple stakeholders:
- Providing waste collection services
- Raising awareness on sound waste management
- Enforcing policies and laws
- Implementing a chain of waste management practices, including recycling and final disposal in an environmentally sound manner
- Implementing monitoring mechanisms
- Enhancing administrative and institutional capacity
The closure of open dumpsites would significantly contribute to addressing the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and soil contamination. It would also lead to improved sanitation and water quality, fostering safer working conditions for informal workers and residents. Additionally, economic benefits, such as increased job opportunities in the waste management sector, can be anticipated.
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies – Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (IGES-CCET) collaborates with partners to develop and implement national or city waste management strategies.
The first Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury adopted a decision in 2017 regarding mercury emissions from open burning of waste. Following this decision, UNEP initiated a project on mercury monitoring at open dumping sites in Cameroon, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar, and Nigeria.
The Coalition for the Closure of Dumpsites, established in 2018 during the XXI Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, is a voluntary coalition aiming to create a Roadmap for the progressive closure of open dumpsites. This coalition supports implementation, promotes technical guidelines, enhances capacities, and raises awareness in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Key areas of UNEP technical assistance:
- Policies and regulatory support
- Capacity-building programmes
- Technical guidance
- Awareness raising
- Data collection and analysis
- Monitoring and assessment
- Collaboration and partnerships
Resources
Publications
- Roadmap for the progressive closure of dumpsites in latin America and the Caribbean -The Coalition for the Closure of Dumpsite - UNEP 2021
- Fact Sheets - Mercury Monitoring on Open Dumping Sites and Open Burning: Technical Background – UNEP, 2021
- Guidelines for Safe Closure and Rehabilitation of Municipal Solid Waste Dumpsites in Sri Lanka – Ministry of Environment, 2021
- Municipal Solid Waste Open Dump Site - Juba, South Sudan: Preliminary Environmental Assessment - UNEP, 2013
