The Minimum Requirements for Waste Disposal by Landfill forms part of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's Waste Management Series that establishes a reference framework of standards for waste management in South Africa. It also facilitates the enforcement of the landfill permitting system provided for in terms of Section 20 of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act 73 of 1989). The minimum requirements (MR) are standards by which environmentally acceptable waste disposal practices can be differentiated from unacceptable practices. The need for environmentally acceptable yet cost-effective waste disposal has become a priority in South Africa. This is because increasing population and urbanisation have resulted in growing waste generation, placing pressure on the environment. There is also an increasing awareness of environmental issues and a desire for a clean environment on the part of the public. To ensure a cleaner environment, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, with whom responsibility for waste disposal is currently vested, has been tasked to meet both current and future waste disposal needs. The aim of the Department is to protect the environment and the public from the impacts of bad waste disposal practices. It has been found that whilst there is sound legislation in place, many local authorities do not comply for various reasons. The Minimum Requirements will be evaluated and a case study approach and a local authority in the KwaZulu-Natal province will be selected. The research is envisaged to highlight areas of capacity/incapacity and to identify a set of resource requirements that may be required to ensure compliance at local authority level and ultimately to the legislation that promulgates it.

Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.