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Tekulu and Islam

illnesses, disproportionately affect children, the elderly,
and immunocompromised individuals.
Satisfaction with municipal waste services was low,
with over 75% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction
or rating the service as poor. This dissatisfaction reflects
a breakdown in trust between the public and local
authorities, a challenge also identified in Lebanon
and Syria, where municipal services have struggled to
regain functionality post-crisis. 46,47 A weak feedback
loop between service providers and residents hinders
both accountability and responsive planning. In many
instances, a lack of transparency regarding collection
schedules, service coverage, and complaint mechanisms
Figure 4. Linear regression analysis shows the further alienates communities. When residents perceive
relationship between standardized age and no benefit from government services, they are less
perception of the health and environmental impacts likely to participate in collective initiatives, comply
of dispersed municipal solid waste with regulations, or support user-fee systems, creating
a self-perpetuating cycle of failure.
Adigrat, such patterns are caused not only by service The regression analysis showed a significant
interruption but also by limited public awareness and a correlation between age and perception of health/
lack of basic infrastructure such as collection bins and environmental impacts, with older participants
trucks. more likely to recognize the dangers of poor waste
Only 18.2% of respondents reported using formal management. This finding suggests a gap in awareness
waste collection services, and 72.7% indicated irregular among younger populations and highlights the need for
collection. This lack of service continuity reflects targeted public education and community engagement
deeper issues of governance, capacity, and funding, as programs. Younger residents may be less informed
48
also observed in Abuja, Nigeria. Weak institutional about long-term environmental consequences or may
45
frameworks, inconsistent municipal budgets, and have normalized poor service conditions due to growing
fragmented urban planning often lead to erratic waste up with systemic deficiencies. School-based programs,
services. The absence of reliable collection systems social media campaigns, and youth-centered clean-up
leads to waste accumulation in public spaces, which drives can be effective in cultivating environmental
residents linked to bad odor (48.5%), disease (22.2%), responsibility. Moreover, involving local youth in waste
and blocked drainage (18.2%). Such localized audits, awareness campaigns, and monitoring initiatives
environmental degradation contributes to declining can foster both engagement and skill development.
urban quality of life and often perpetuates a cycle of These results underscore the urgent need for systematic
neglect and disengagement from both citizens and reconstruction of waste management infrastructure,
authorities. In flood-prone areas, blocked drainage due restoration of service regularity, and inclusion of
to solid waste increases the frequency and severity of public outreach. Infrastructure investments must
urban flooding, exacerbating vulnerabilities, especially prioritize equipment procurement, route optimization,
for low-income households living in informal and personnel training. Furthermore, monitoring tools
settlements. such as Geographic Information System mapping and
These outcomes align with patterns documented mobile reporting apps can help track service delivery
across other post-conflict and under-resourced and ensure transparency. Public–private partnerships
urban areas. In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for instance, and decentralized waste collection models, successfully
similar challenges in post-earthquake recovery were implemented in parts of Bangladesh and Kenya,
compounded by misaligned donor priorities and a lack of could provide a viable path forward. 49,50 These models
integration with existing municipal systems. The result often allow for more responsive, cost-effective, and
was an overreliance on temporary waste solutions that community-driven approaches. In Bangladesh’s Dhaka
failed to transition into sustainable, long-term services. North City Corporation, neighborhood-based micro-
Moreover, the health impacts linked to accumulated collection centers run by cooperatives have improved
waste, ranging from waterborne diseases to respiratory service efficiency while generating employment.

Volume 22 Issue 4 (2025) 24 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025090061