An integrated sustainability assessment of municipal solid waste management enhancement strategy : a case of Zhangqiu City, P.R. China | |
| Author | Hua, Li |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.UE-15-01 |
| Subject(s) | Sustainability--China Solid waste management--Environmental aspects--Chaina Refuse and refuse disposal--China--Zhangqui Sustainability--Assessmentl--China--Zhangqui |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Environmental Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | China is implementing a municipal solid waste management (MSWM) enhancing strategy which aims to achieve sustainable MSWM in its cities. The formulation and implementation of such strategy in any subject areas need to be supported by decision support tools or models which allow site-specific data and information to be entered to make evaluations of alternative MSWM options. The main objective of this study is to develop andapply an integrated sustainability assessment methodology (SAM) to analyze a given city of China’s municipal solid waste management enhancement strategy options based on three waste treatment scenarios. The scope of this study is a specific waste management system and focus on the treatment unit processes of described three waste treatment scenarios: landfill disposal, waste-to-energy incineration, and a combination of a material recovery facility and composting. Implementation of MSWM enhancement strategy presents the opportunity to establish sustainable MSWM systems. In accordance with the MSWM enhancement goal, this study develop and apply the SAM to addresses environmental, social and economic sustainability dimensions simultaneously with formal involvement of stakeholders participation into a decision making process for a locality. This research combines multiple data collection methods in order to provide a wider scope of coverage: documentation, archival records, interviews, field survey, both quantitative and qualitative data are collected. Data from Zhangqiu City are used for the application of the developed SAM. Nevertheless, with regard to waste treatment facilities, since Zhangqiu City is currently has only one WTE incineration are in plan and design, corresponding Landfill plant and MRF+compost plant data are obtained through analogy survey from other cities include Xiaojianxi, Qingdao City, China, Laiwu City, China, Baotou City, Yibin City, China, Lianjiang City, China. In this way, the data collection covers a big picture, and the results can be applied accordingly to such kind of cities vice versa. Results based on the application of SAM on MSWM in Zhangqiu City show that a combination of material recovery and composting is the most efficient option. The demonstration of the use of SAM provides flexibility by allowing assessment for a municipal solid waste management (MSWM) strategy on a case-by-case basis, taking into account site-specific factors; therefore it has the potential for flexible applications in different communities/ regions. This research built knowledge in innovative MSWM and policy practices, by helping the latter to evaluate and clarify the most sustainable attributes in MSWM. The SAM enables local stakeholders to have full engagement in the assessment process by establishing a formal collaboration mechanism with all stakeholders’ participation based on the notion that stakeholders’ interactions are prerequisites for the successful implementation of an MSWM strategy in a given locality. It is recommended further updating of the data and the application of this model in other localities to validate or challenge the findings of this study. |
| Year | 2015 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Environmental and Management (UE) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vilas Nitivattananon; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thammarat Koottatep;Bohez, Erik L. J.;Pariatamby, Agamutu A. L; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | China Scholarship Council; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2015 |