Waste management study on Pemba Island, Zanzibar

Project summary

Pemba Island, part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, has been facing a growing waste management challenge. With a rising population and limited infrastructure, most waste has up to now been burned or dumped in open spaces, harming both the environment and public health. To address this, RSK Environment (East Africa) Ltd was brought in by a consortium of two NGOs: the Lay Volunteers International Association (LVIA) and Oikos East Africa, to assess and improve solid waste management across the island. The work was delivered under the Green and Smart Cities SASA programme, which forms part of the Team Europe Initiative – a collaborative effort by European development partners to promote sustainable urban development in Tanzania.

The background

The growing waste challenge on Pemba is increasingly affecting the tourism sector, which plays a vital role in the island’s economy. Tourism contributes nearly 30% of Zanzibar’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of its foreign exchange earnings. The degradation of natural landscapes and pollution of coastal areas risk undermining the long-term sustainability and economic benefits that tourism brings.

To address these challenges, RSK conducted a study of the island’s waste and current management practices between December 2024 and June 2025, engaging with the community and local government authorities to develop a roadmap of recommendations for change. It focused on strengthening solid waste management systems across all four districts of Pemba through infrastructure planning, stakeholder engagement and inclusive green economy strategies.

The challenges

To deliver the study and recommendations, collaboration with local authorities and stakeholders was vital. A key challenge was navigating the institutional landscape, which had limited coordination between different stakeholders such as local authorities, informal waste actors and other workers in the space.

Despite the challenges of reaching remote and underserved areas, the study was met with strong local support, with communities actively facilitating access and data collection and voicing their opinions on how to improve the situation.

The solutions

In close conjunction with Pemba local government authorities, communities and stakeholders, the team carried out a detailed assessment of waste generation and management across the island. These studies involved using geographic information system (GIS) spatial tools to map waste generation hotspots and infrastructure gaps across Pemba. The analysis helped prioritise interventions and revealed underserved areas.

These data were combined with technical analysis, including waste characterisation, infrastructure planning and circular economy solutions. The team co-created a Theory of Change Roadmap, which gained insights from dialogue and workshops with local government, community-based organisations and the private sector. This careful stakeholder engagement ensured that the strategy was not only technically sound but also locally owned and contextually relevant. Opportunities for youth and women in composting, black solider fly production, recycling and waste-based entrepreneurship were also identified, helping to link environmental goals with livelihoods.

The impact

The project lays the foundation for a transformative shift in how solid waste is managed on Pemba Island. By combining technical analysis with community-led planning, it delivers a roadmap for a cleaner, healthier and more economically inclusive future.

The study has improved understanding of waste collection gaps and infrastructure needs. It has also identified opportunities for livelihood creation by supporting local cooperatives and youth groups in waste collection and processing, fostering employment and community empowerment; proposed the development of small-scale organic waste processing and recycling facilities to reduce landfill pressure; and developed strategies for behaviour change through school programmes, community outreach and media engagement to promote responsible waste management.