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Challenges and Priorities of Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cambodia

Year of Publication

2022

This report aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the generation and characteristics, policies and legislation frameworks, management arrangement, collection, treatment, and disposal of MSW in Cambodia.

Source:

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Author(s):

Dek Vimean Pheakdey, Nguyen Van Quan, Tran Dang Khanh, Tran Dang Xuan

Geography:

Cambodia

Type:

Strategy

Purpose of Measurement:

Solution Sets and Impact Potential

Impact theme(s):

Material Flows, Policy

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the utmost challenges for Cambodia’s city and district centers. The unsound management of MSW has detrimentally affected the environment and human health. In the present study, an attempt has been made to provide a comprehensive insight into the generation and characteristics, policies and legislation frameworks, management arrangement, collection, treatment, and disposal of MSW. The experience of developed and developing countries and the challenges and priorities of MSW management in Cambodia are also highlighted. In Cambodia, about 4.78 million tons of MSW were generated in 2020, with a 0.78 kg/capita/day generation rate. Only 86% of cities and districts have access to MSW collection services. The current practice of MSW management is reliance on landfill (44%). There are 164 landfills operating countrywide, receiving about 5749 tons of MSW per day. Recycling, incineration, and composting share 4%, 4%, and 2% of MSW generation, respectively. In 2021, the total revenue that was recovered from recyclables was USD 56M. The study concludes several major challenges and proposes valuable suggestions, which may be beneficial for the improvement of the current system to support the sustainable management of MSW in Cambodia.

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