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Remote Mountain Communities
Composition of waste and volumes
The composition and generation of waste varies across localities
and is dependent on many factors such as local consumption
patterns, eating habits, income levels and time of the year.
However, there are a few general trends. First, the share of organic
and biodegradable waste tends to be higher in rural mountain
Many of the general problems of solid waste management (SWM) in mountainous regions – such
as the difficulty of transporting waste and finding suitable landfill sites – are amplified in small and
remote mountain communities. In developing countries, formal institutional systems for SWM in
remote mountainous regions are largely non-existent. In tourist destinations, waste produced in
small mountain communities is inextricably linked to the tourism industry.
Small and remote communities need to have local, community-based strategies to deal with waste
effectively. Waste management should focus more on improved separation of waste at source, reusing
and recycling waste, and disposing of the remaining waste in an environmentally sound manner –
composting the organic matter and storing the non-biodegradable material in collection facilities.
Care should also be taken to dispose of health care waste in a safe manner.
regions than in urban areas. Second, the proportion of organic
waste has decreased over the past decade due to an increase in
packaging. This relates to general global trends in consumption
patterns as well as an increase in mountain tourism (Gidarakos,
Havas and Ntzamilis, 2006). Third, the total amount of solid waste
produced correlates positively with income (Modak, Wilson and
Velis, 2015a).
A village in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco.
Photo
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iStock/CCat82