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Figure 4. The countries with a low proportion of their urban population with electricity
Source: Legros et al (2009)
‘3 (or 4) Rs’ (reduce, reuse, recycle and recover) is improving. Just 40% of waste in OECD countries is sent to landfills. In middle-income countries, the average collection rate is 75%, but nearly two thirds is sent to landfills and the remainder to open dumps. There have been improvements, with increased mechanization, better treatment processes and recycling.8 In Latin America, use of controlled landfills increased from 22.6% to 54.4% in the 2000s.9 However, improvements in middle-income countries in other regions have not kept up with increased waste generation. Although low-income countries generate relatively little household waste, they also have low collection rates, averaging around 41%. Africa’s collected waste is almost exclusively dumped or sent to poorly engineered landfills. There is also enormous variation in service across and within cities, especially between slum and non-slum areas.
Public transport: Many cities in high- and some middle-income countries have extensive public transport systems, with provision for walking and, increasingly, cycling, which helps keep down the proportion of private automobile trips and helps reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. However, there is widespread under-investment in public transport. Most cities struggle with traffic congestion, particularly in low- and lower-middle income countries where roads are often unsurfaced and public transport is poor. Despite efforts to provide innovative transport solutions in recent years, new systems have been insufficient and often poorly integrated with existing transport systems. In most large cities in low- and middle-income countries, the lack of public transport and/or its high cost makes daily mobility a challenge. Low-income communities located in city outskirts face particularly poor transport provision.
Hoornweg and Bhada- Tata (2012). 8
Latin American Chapter – GOLD III 9