Assessing the effectiveness of wastewater management on the environmental security: A Case study of Kigali Special Economic Zone

Abstract

The qualitative research study of assessing the effectiveness of wastewater management on the environmental security: a case study of Kigali Special Economic Zone was conducted with a view to finding the existing challenges and thereafter make viable recommendations. The increasing rate of wastewater being released in urban areas and blossoming industries world over and Rwanda in particular has led leaders to rethink on the rationale of making wastewater management a critical sector where government and urban resources are supposed to be channeled to an endeavor destination. Some researchers have found a significant relationship between wastewater and environmental security others are still grappling with making a sharp distinction and are indeed finding both concepts in the same domain with no impact on each other. The study was done through a qualitative research design using the purposive sampling, 55 respondents from a cross section of people with knowledge on wastewater and whose daily attributes are related to wastewater management. Tools of data collection such as observation, focus group discussion and interview guide were adopted as the suitable tools of making this study appropriate and accurate. Three research questions were formulated to guide this study. The results of the wastewater management is not a new thing but policy makers have not multiplied their efforts to ensure that effective wastewater management is done well. This study recommended among other things that Governments should ensure a central wastewater management is instituted in place to manage all wastewater related issues and it must be independent of authorities in charge of environment and solid waste and late regular environmental impact assessment should be done to inform policy makers of what is progressing well and what is inappropriate as far as handling the wastewater management is concerned.