Implementation of Chapter 21 of the UN Agenda 21: a case study of municipal solid waste management in the Bamenda urban council area of Cameroon

Abstract

In recent times, the world has witnessed inreasing environmental degrading resulting from increased atmospheric concentration of green house gases. This has led to increased global warming and climate change. The waste management sector is vital because of its general association with the generation of green house gases. By endorsing the United Nations Agenda 21, Cameroon agreed to the implemetation of its Chapter 21 which calls for the achievement of sustainable waste management in country parties. The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate, Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) at the level of the Bamenda Urban Council Area (BUCA) of Cameroon. To better contextualize this discussion, the authors briefly evaluate Cameroon's legal, institutional, policy and strategic framework for MSWM. Using empirical data, this article argues that Municipal Solid Waste Management in the BUCA is unsustainable and suggests that practice should transit from open dumping to one which reflects the inverted waste management hierarchy. It is further suggested that, the effective use of legal, economic and voluntary policy instruments can contribute to efficient MSWM particularly in the BUCA.