Reforming Urban Solid Waste Management in Amhara Regional State: Policy Analysis and Strategic Recommendations for Institutional Strengthening, Inclusion, and Coordination

1. Introduction

Urban Solid Waste Management (USWM) in Ethiopia’s Amhara Regional State presents a growing public service challenge.¹ Rapid urbanization, population growth, and increased consumption have overwhelmed existing waste management systems, especially in cities such as Bahir Dar, Dessie, and Debre Berhan.² Despite the adoption of national policies such as Proclamation No. 513/2007 and the National Urban Sanitation Strategy, municipal enforcement remains weak, infrastructure is underdeveloped, and institutional mandates are fragmented.³ Municipalities operate without cohesive bylaws, and regulatory responsibilities are dispersed across health, sanitation, and environmental sectors.⁴ Informal waste pickers mainly women and youth are systematically excluded from formal systems despite playing a significant role in waste recovery.^1,3 Chronic underfunding, capacity shortfalls, and low public engagement exacerbate the crisis, posing escalating public health, environmental, and economic risks.⁵ This policy brief presents a critical analysis of current gaps in urban solid waste management across the region and proposes actionable reforms to promote institutional coordination, equity, and environmental sustainability.

2. Methods

This policy brief uses a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary data analysis and stakeholder consultations. Sources include government policies, municipal records, and reports from development partners. Quantitative data on service coverage, staffing, and budgets were analyzed alongside qualitative insights from municipal officials, health experts, and informal waste workers. The assessment focused on five key areas: waste practices, institutional capacity, socio-economic and environmental impacts, service disparities, and stakeholder engagement. Figure 1 illustrates the thematic framework guiding the analysis.

Figure 1. Analytical framework for assessing urban solid waste management in Amhara Regional State.

3. Policy outcomes and implications

3.1 Current state of solid waste disposal in Amhara Regional State

Urban solid waste management in Amhara Regional State faces critical challenges due to rapid urbanization, weak institutional capacity, and outdated infrastructure.⁶ Cities like Bahir Dar, Gondar, Dessie, and Debre Markos generate 1,500–2,000 metric tons of waste daily, yet only 50–60% is collected, and less than half of that is safely disposed.⁷ Figure 2 illustrates that organic waste mainly food and agricultural residue makes up 65–70% of the total waste stream, indicating missed opportunities for composting and bio-recovery. Poor collection practices, aging fleets (e.g., Gondar operates with fewer than 10 trucks for over 350,000 residents), and widespread open dumping contribute to severe health and environmental risks.⁸ Over 70% of urban centers lack sanitary landfills, making current disposal practices unsustainable.⁹ As shown in Table 1, a significant portion of waste in key cities remains either uncollected or is collected but unsafely managed, further heightening public health threats and environmental degradation across the region.

Figure 2. Waste composition in urban areas of Amhara Regional State.^7,8

Table 1. Estimated daily municipal solid waste flows in major urban centers of Amhara Region

(Source: Estimates derived from average per capita waste generation (~0.45 kg/person/day) and urban population data).

City	Estimated daily Waste generation (t/day)	Collected (t/day)	Uncollected (t/day)	Safely disposed (t/day)	Key notes
Bahir Dar	99	73 (74%)	26 (26%)	Minimal (<10 t)	Collected mainly by private companies; lacks sanitary landfill.
Gondar	157	80 (51%)	77 (49%)	Very low (<5 t)	Limited infrastructure; disposal in open dumps.
Dessie	90	50 (56%)	40 (44%)	<5	Open dumping common; limited municipal capacity.
Debre Markos	54	30 (55%)	24 (45%)	<3	No proper disposal infrastructure.
Debre Birhan	25	13 (52%)	12 (48%)	Negligible	No known safe disposal mechanisms.
Debre Tabor	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Reliable data not available.
Enjibara	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Reliable data not available.
Woldiya	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Reliable data not available.

3.4 Intra-urban disparities

In Amhara’s cities, solid waste services are deeply unequal formal neighborhoods receive regular collection, while over 70% of informal settlements lack access, leading to unsafe dumping and health risks.^21–23 In cities like Dessie and Kombolcha, informal workers operate without protection, facing high injury and disease risks.²⁴ Smaller towns struggle with poor infrastructure and weak municipal capacity.^22,25–27 These disparities rooted in systemic neglect and fragmented planning, demand urgent, inclusive policies to close service gaps and protect vulnerable communities and waste workers.^27–29 As shown in Figure 3, waste generation has consistently outpaced service expansion from 2015 to 2024.

Figure 3. Trend analysis on waste generation vs. service expansion (2015–2024) (Analyzed from^30–32)

4. Key findings

5. Policy implications

The absence of enforceable municipal bylaws and operational guidelines weakens the national policy framework, leaving solid waste systems vulnerable to legal ambiguity and inconsistent implementation. Clear, regionally adapted legislation is essential.

Institutional fragmentation undermines efficiency and accountability. Without clarified mandates and inter-agency coordination, efforts remain siloed, hampering holistic urban waste management and weakening public trust.

The severe shortage of skilled personnel, such as environmental engineers and health inspectors, limits municipalities’ ability to enforce standards and respond to public health threats. Capacity building must be prioritized.

Chronic underfunding not only limits infrastructure development but also threatens the continuity of basic services. Increased and ring-fenced funding for waste management is essential to ensure reliable service delivery.

Lack of real-time data weakens municipal planning, resource allocation, and monitoring systems. Digital data systems are crucial for responsive, data-driven decision-making and performance evaluation.

Inadequate waste disposal heightens the risk of disease outbreaks and environmental hazards, placing a heavy burden on health systems, especially in underserved communities.

The lack of legal recognition and protection for informal waste workers marginalizes a crucial labor force, missing an opportunity for inclusive, job-creating solutions in the green economy.

Without community participation and behavior change, top-down interventions will have limited success. Public education and incentives for household-level waste segregation are key to long-term success.

These implications reinforce the need for urgent, systemic, and inclusive reform in urban solid waste governance in Amhara Regional State.

6. Policy alternatives and evaluation

Urban solid waste management (USWM) in the Amhara Region suffers from systemic inefficiencies rooted in institutional fragmentation, underdeveloped infrastructure, and the persistent exclusion of informal waste actors. While Ethiopia’s national frameworks such as Proclamation No. 513/2007 and the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy provide high-level direction, implementation at the regional and municipal levels remains weak and inconsistent. To resolve these challenges and promote inclusive, efficient, and sustainable waste governance, this brief evaluates three viable policy alternatives and recommends a combined pathway that balances ambition with feasibility.

Option 1: Incremental strengthening of current municipal waste management systems

This option focuses on improving the performance of existing municipal systems without major legal or structural reforms. It calls for modest increases in budget allocation, standardization of enforcement, and use of digital planning tools such as GIS to enhance waste collection, monitoring, and public health risk mapping.

Concrete actions:

Merits:

Demerits:

Implications:

If adopted alone, this option risks prolonging inefficiencies, as it fails to address core governance issues. Improvements may be visible in service coverage but will likely remain unsustained and inequitable.

Option 2: Formal integration of the informal waste sector into urban waste systems (Preferred option)

This option prioritizes the legal and operational inclusion of informal waste actors particularly women and youth within formal municipal systems. By formally recognizing these actors through legal amendments, cooperative models, and public-private-community partnerships, municipalities can unlock grassroots innovation and inclusive employment while expanding recycling and reducing landfill pressure.

Concrete actions:

Merits:

Demerits:

Implications:

If implemented, this strategy can fundamentally shift waste governance toward inclusive sustainability. The environmental, economic, and social dividends particularly job creation and emissions reductions justify the upfront costs and coordination efforts.

Option 3: Establishment of a unified legal urban waste coordination authority

This bold institutional reform proposes the creation of a single, legally mandated coordinating body such as a Regional Waste Management Authority responsible for consolidating the fragmented mandates of health, environmental, and municipal institutions. The authority would oversee urban waste policy, planning, enforcement, and inter-agency collaboration.

Concrete actions:

Merits:

Demerits:

Implications:

Adopting this option would lay the foundation for systemic reform, improving governance efficiency and service integration. If unaccompanied by inclusive engagement (e.g., informal actor integration), however, it may fall short of social equity goals.

7. Conclusion

Amhara’s growing urban waste crisis demands bold, integrated reform. Incremental improvements alone are insufficient formal integration of informal waste workers and establishment of a unified legal authority offer the most impactful path forward. This dual-track approach fosters institutional coherence, social equity, and alignment with Ethiopia’s green growth goals, unlocking climate finance and green job opportunities. Without urgent action, fragmented services and urban inequalities will worsen. Now is the moment for policymakers to adopt inclusive, coordinated waste strategies that ensure healthier, more resilient cities for all.