SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN KINSHASA, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.

The argument that "one in every two urban resident is poor" in cities of the developing world can be articulated in the discussions of social and environmental inequalities occurring in the management of solid waste, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries. This paper discusses environmental justice in the context of solid waste management (SWM) in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is argued that the urban poor in most parts of Kinshasa face serious consequences of poor solid waste management and bear a huge proportion of the environmental burden. It is further argued in the paper that the plight of the poor people in Kinshasa has been worsened by the accelerated rate of urbanisation which has occurred in the presence of bad urban governance, increased civil conflict and weak institutional framework. A combination of these challenges have resulted in increased injustices in the management of solid waste with poor suburbs poor being exposed to living conditions that are inhumane and demeaning. Using secondary data and other archival records, this chapter argues that solid waste in Kinshasa is not only a health risk, but it also presents issues of environmental injustice. These issues have been analysed within the context of evolving arguments that focus on the need to develop pro-poor approaches in the management of urban solid waste in order to promote urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]