Geospatial Technologies in Waste Management: A Case Study of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA)

Abstract

Waste Management can be quite challenging, especially in the developing world. The challenge becomes even more complex with the growing population. City planners and decision makers are turning to technology to improve the efficiency of the waste management process. Geospatial technologies have offered a range of solutions, which have been deployed with success in waste management. This paper highlights the challenges of waste management in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and how the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) deployed the use of GIS in solving most of the challenges of identification, planning, evacuation, and transportation of wastes within the Port Harcourt metropolis. This paper looked at how this solution was deployed to solve key challenges as well as stimulate citizen participation in the waste management process. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for expanding the potentials of its application.