| Summary: | The supply of hygiene and sanitation services in the city of Yaoundé is still poor. In fact, only about 45% of the population has access to waste management public services. Facing the failure of the State to provide access to waste management public services, Yaounde populations established an informal parallel service of hygiene and sanitation to help improve their living environment: this process is called pre-collection. This alternative is adapted to the uncontrolled development of the city and especially meets the needs of the poor. Despite the pivotal role of pre-collection, in the functioning of the urban system in terms of health and sanitation, it is still not institutionalized. It remains neglected and stigmatized by the authorities. Field research has shown that pre-collection is considered as a high quality service today in Yaounde; its social and environmental benefits are valued by the population (84%). In areas covered by the pre-collection service, there is a reduction of odour (86%) and visual pollution (90%). In addition, there is a decrease of wild dumping (97%), open-air cremation (83%) and an improvement in the cleanliness of the area (96%). The pre-collection actors have already integrated waste recycling in their activities through sorting and composting. It would be important for the State to understand how the pre-collection is organised to highlight its benefits for the population. In a similar vein, it is advisable to plan for its institutionalization in order to expand this activity in Yaounde.
|
|---|
