Open Environmental Sciences
2018, 10 : 1-15Published online 2018 April 30. DOI: 10.2174/1876325101810010001
Publisher ID: TOENVIRJ-10-1
REVIEW ARTICLE
A Review of Landfill Gas Generation and Utilisation in Africa
2 Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, 0950,
* Address correspondence to this author Department of Ecology and Resource Management, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa; Tel: +27646607525; E-mail: pnjoku26@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This review evaluates the current Landfill Gas (LFG) utilisation technology across Africa and gives general overview on the global context. With the increase in global Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), the world has embraced landfilling to be its major way of MSW management. About 85% of the world’s MSW is deposited in landfills. This has brought increased concerns of gases emitted from landfill sites. These gases have contributed enormously to the global anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission which are detrimental to the world’s environmental media. Although significant progress has been made on the utilization of landfill gases but this is limited to some developed countries, while in Africa, there has been limited strategies and control of LFG emissions. This review spotted several reasons that could have influenced the low development of LFG utilisation in Africa as ranging from lack of skilled expertise, inadequate knowledge of the technology involved, lack of political will, inadequate funding for LFG utilization projects and monopoly of the power sector among others. It is recommended that urgent attention should be given to LFG utilisation as it can aid in acquiring carbon credits, reduction in obnoxious smell and odours, and provide the much-needed energy which is crippling the economy in Africa as well as reducing the consequences associated with the release of greenhouse gases to the environment.