Waste Management, Environmental Health, and Community Well-being in Harbour Areas of Western Province, Zambia: AI, Smart Systems and Pathways to Sustainability

Loveness Moono, Dr. Ravibaskar Ramalingam

Waste Management; Environmental Health; Harbour Areas; Western Province; Zambia, Artificial Intelligence; Smart Systems; Community Well-Being.

Inadequate waste management in urban and peri-urban harbour areas poses severe risks to community health, environmental integrity, and sustainable development in sub-Saharan African cities. Two selected harbour areas in Zambia’s Western Province face significant solid waste management challenges that directly compromise the health and well-being of resident communities. This article examines the impacts and effects of waste management practices on people and the environment in these harbour areas, situating local empirical findings within global scholarship on smart waste management systems, artificial intelligence in environmental monitoring, blockchain-enabled waste tracking, and community-based environmental action. Findings from a descriptive survey reveal that inadequate waste collection, open burning, and unregulated dumping generate significant health burdens including respiratory illness, waterborne disease, and child malnutrition alongside environmental degradation, water contamination, and biodiversity loss. The study argues that AI-powered smart waste management systems, sensor-based environmental monitoring, and community digital reporting platforms offer transformative pathways for improving waste management outcomes in harbour communities. Policy recommendations are presented.

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