Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

Natural Disasters andWaste

Mountains are prone to natural hazards, such as avalanches, extreme weather, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods, floods and earthquakes. Mountain areas are by their very nature, mostly located in seismically active areas (mountain-building is a result of the geological process of plate tectonics). In the Andes, for example, about 88 per cent of the mountains are susceptible to earthquakes (Kohler andMaselli, 2009). Mountain communities living on steep, unstable terrain or along steep river valleys, as well as downstream communities, are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters because of their high degree of exposure and their low coping capacity (due to poverty). There is evidence that many mountain regions have become more disaster-prone (Kohler and Maselli, 2009). Climate change is an important contributing factor, because it increases the risk of extreme events and reduces the resilience of both ecosystems and people (Kohler, Wehrli and Jurek, 2014). Migration, urbanisation and other factors also play a role, as more and more people move into areas exposed to natural hazards.

Apart from the direct cost to human lives and property, disasters have significant waste implications. Disasters can generate a huge amount of waste in a very short time, overwhelming the capacities of municipalities and waste management facilities. Disaster waste can affect human health by contaminating drinking water and through exposure to hazardous waste, cripple local infrastructure, and hinder rescue and rehabilitation efforts (for example, debris blocking access routes and roads). The waste is often mixed with vegetation and other debris, which further complicates separation and collection.

It is difficult to assess the total waste generated by disasters but research from various disasters in the US and the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean indicate that the waste generated in each community was equivalent to between 5 and 15 times their normal annual waste generation (Reinhart and McCreanor,1999; Basnayake, Chiemchaisri and Visvanathan, 2006). The 2015 earthquake in Nepal, which killed more than 9,000 people and destroyed 800,000 buildings, generated 3.94 million tons of debris in Kathmandu valley only. This was equivalent to 11 years of waste (Gyawali, 2015).

TYPICAL DEBRIS STREAMS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF DISASTERS

Wildfires

Vegetative Construction and demolition Personal property/ Household items Hazardous waste Household hazardous waste

Earthquakes

Tornadoes

Hurricanes/Typhoons

White goods*

Tsunamis

Soil, mud and sand

Floods

Vehicles and vessels Putrescent

Ice storms

* White goods: Large, domestic electrical goods such as fridges and washing machines.

Source: FEMA (2007) Public Assistance: Debris Management Guide .

74