Municipal Solid Waste Management in Asia and the Pacific Islands ― Challenges and Strategic Solutions

Solid waste management issues, technologies and challenges are dynamic. More so, in developing and transitory nations in Asia. This book, written by Asian experts in solid waste management, explores the current situation in Asian countries including Pacific Islands. There are not many technical books of this kind, especially dedicated to this region of the world. The chapters form a comprehensive, coherent investigation in municipal solid waste (MSW) management, including, definitions used, generation, sustainable waste management system, legal framework and impacts on global warming.
Several case studies from Asian nations are included to exemplify the real situation experienced. Discussions on MSW policy in these countries and their impacts on waste management and minimization (if any) are indeed an eye-opener. Undoubtedly, this book would be a pioneer in revealing the latest situation in the Asian region, which includes two of the world's most dynamic nations in the economic growth. It is greatly envisaged to form an excellent source of reference in MSW management in Asia and Pacific Islands. This book will bridge the wide gap in available information between the developed and transitory/developing nations.

Prof. Agamuthu has authored more than 350 scientific publications and several books on Solid Waste. His research interests focus on landfill gas studies and bio-covers, waste characterization, municipal waste management, solidification/stabilization of hazardous wastes, biological treatment of waste, waste minimization and cleaner production, leachate studies and use for agro-irrigation, landfill remediation by chemical and biological methods, water and wastewater treatment, plastic biodegradation studies, Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Impact Assessment and waste management, Life Cycle Analysis in waste management, and value-addition of agricultural and industrial wastes for enzyme production, value-addition of agricultural wastes, material flow analysis (MFA), and bioremediation. Prof. Agamuthu has carried out more than 50 consultancy/advisory projects. Examples of organizations advised are EPI Environmental Plastics, Australia (2001), the University of the West Indies, Jamaica (2000), MBPJ (on-going to the present), Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia (2006 to the present) as the National Technical Advisory Board Member, and United Nations Environmental Programme (2007). He is a Senior Advisory Group Expert to Executive Secretary of Basel Convention, Geneva, and UNEP. He is also involved in International research collaboration with Austria, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Germany etc., as in the Integrated Sustainable Solid Waste Management (ISSOWAMA) project involving 26 Asian countries with funding from EU, and the 3R Resources project involving six Asian countries with funding from IGES, Japan. Prof. Agamuthu is Associate Editor of Waste Management & Research Journal, Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysian Journal of Science and was a Senate Member of UM (2005 – 2007). Prof. Agamuthu is an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management (Japan), Journal of Safety and Environment (China), reviewer for Journal of Hazardous Wastes (USA), Journal of Environmental Management (USA) and International Journal of Environment and Waste Management etc. He is also the Registered Subject Expert (solid waste management, under Section 34A, Environmental Quality Act, Malaysia).

Prof. Masaru Tanaka is the Director of the Sustainability Research Institute, Tottori University of Environmental Studies in Tottori, Japan. He specialises in Solid Waste Management Engineering, Refuse Collection and Transportation, Incineration Technology, Management of Landfill, Dioxin Control, Management of Health Care Waste. He was dispatched to various countries (Morocco, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, China, Indonesia) as a JICA expert in his field for technical cooperation. Masaru Tanaka is also a Member of various governmental committees regarding waste management and sustainable development.