Why This Pillar Matters

RESILIENT WASTE MANAGEMENT

Uganda’s waste crisis is a growing threat to public health and the environment. Piles of uncollected garbage, weak disposal systems, and limited recycling capacity are endangering lives and ecosystems. ARDHI advocates for sustainable waste management rooted in accountability, innovation, and community participation.

The Challenge: Growing Waste, Shrinking Solutions

Kampala alone produces over 2,000 tons of waste daily yet less than half is properly collected.

Uganda’s cities are expanding faster than their waste systems. Poor urban planning, limited budgets, and low public awareness have left households and businesses to dump waste in open spaces or drainage channels. The result: blocked waterways, disease outbreaks, and fires like the Kitezi landfill disaster warning us of a system on the brink.

Funfact

The Gaps We Must Close

0 +

tons of waste generated daily in Kampala

0 %

of this waste is collected

0 %

of waste in Uganda is recycled

WhatsApp-Image-2024-05-10-at-4.58.09-PM

Why This Matters

Waste isn’t just an environmental issue it’s a social one. When dumpsites catch fire or drainage channels overflow, it’s the poorest communities that suffer first. ARDHI believes that responsible waste management is a right, not a privilege. Clean cities mean healthier people, stronger economies, and a safer planet.

How We Intervene

Research and Evidence

ARDHI investigates Uganda’s waste management systems from informal waste collectors to municipal authorities uncovering inefficiencies, governance gaps, and legal blind spots. We analyze the economic, environmental, and health implications of poor waste management to inform stronger policy design and evidence-led decision-making.

Advocacy Dialogues

We convene policymakers, city administrators, private sector players, and community groups to co-create sustainable urban waste reforms. Through policy dialogues, public forums, and position papers, ARDHI advocates for inclusive systems that integrate informal waste workers, strengthen local enforcement, and promote circular economy principles.

Legal Guidance

ARDHI develops and reviews legal and regulatory frameworks that hold waste producers accountable and mandate compliance with environmental standards. We provide advisory support to government and local councils on drafting enforceable waste bylaws, while also educating citizens about their rights to a clean and healthy environment under Uganda’s Constitution.

The Future We Imagine

Imagine cities where every household sorts its waste, where recycling creates jobs, and where no child grows up near a burning dumpsite. Ardhi Law and Policy Initiative envisions a Uganda where waste is seen not as a problem—but as a resource for change.

Latest News

Policy & Research

Health Financing Crisis

Health Financing Crisis

Uganda’s Health Financing Crisis Examining the sustainability, equity, and efficiency of healthcare funding in Uganda. Introduction The health financing crisis […]

From Kiteezi to Buyala: The Cost of Kampala’s Waste Crisis

From Kiteezi to Buyala: The Cost of Kampala’s Waste Crisis

From Kiteezi to Buyala: The Cost of Kampala’s Waste Crisis Tracing Uganda’s journey from one landfill disaster to the next. […]

Only 8% of Waste Recycled

Only 8% of Waste Recycled

Only 8% of Waste Recycled Uganda’s Waste Crisis Is a Resilience Crisis Introduction Uganda’s waste management situation paints a dire […]

Support This Pillar

Waste touches every Ugandan but solutions must begin with us. Join ARDHI in shaping national policies and community actions that build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Uganda.

Scroll to Top