Waste mismanagement in developing countries: a case study of environmental contamination

Solid waste management in developing countries represents a dangerous issue due to environmental impacts and human illnesses triggered by waste releases in water bodies and by the practice of the open burning, which are mostly underestimated by the Governments. Lack of economic funding, public awareness, technological facilities and know how worsens the situation, giving low hopes of improvement. In this paper, a field work implemented within a Bolivian city is proposed, giving an example of current solid waste management activity in a low-middle income country, highlighting environmental and social issues. A few estimations about environmental impacts are presented while some suggestions are provided.