Reducing urban disaster impacts: An agenda for everyday development

Nairobi, Kenya: Urban growth across Africa is estimated at more than 3.5 percent annually – a large proportion of which is occurring in slum areas. Poverty and exclusion from urban services and weak processes of governance are root causes of urban disaster risk. Sound practices in solid waste management are critical tools for urban managers in order to reduce the immediate health costs of waste accumulation and also mitigate a major cause of flood and fire risks. There is room for actors at the community, municipal and higher levels to engage in cost-effective and efficient solid waste management in support of improved community health.