TITLE:
Emissions of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) from the Waste Sector in Grand Lomé: Contribution of Local Data and Climate Implications
AUTHORS:
Baba Tounde Lassissi Balogun, Maglwa Tcha-Thom, Edem Komi Koledzi
KEYWORDS:
Household Waste, Open Burning, Landfilling, Climate Impact, SLCPs
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: In African cities, landfilling and open burning of municipal solid waste emit short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and associated air pollutants. This study estimates emissions of methane (CH4) and black carbon (BC), together with carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), air pollutants and ozone precursors co-emitted during open burning, from the waste sector of the Autonomous District of Grand Lomé (DAGL). Following the IPCC 2006 Guidelines and their 2019 Refinement, estimates draw on twenty waste characterizations over five years and a survey of 800 households on burning practices. Open burning is practiced by 41.67% of the population (95% CI: 38.2% - 45.2%), versus 67% by default. Local composition departs from the default profile: in 2025, green waste 26.3%, plastics 22.8%, food waste 11.8% (versus 53.9%). Between 2021 and 2025, waste generation rose by 30.2% and landfilled quantities by 51.9%. CH4 from landfilling increased from 1090 to 4866 t/year (+346.4%), CH4 from open burning from 391 to 509 t/year and BC from 69 to 90 t/year. In 2025, open burning emitted 5281 t/year of CO, 3141 t/year of NMVOCs and 681 t/year of NOx. The climate impact of CH4 and BC grew from 103.5 to 231.1 Gg CO2-eq (+123.3%; 48.7 to 98.6 kg CO2-eq/capita). Landfilling became the main source (29.4% to 58.8%), open burning declined from 70.5% to 41.2%, composting remained marginal (4 and BC) and lower for landfill CH4 (−50.1% in 2021, −44.3% in 2025; mean −46.9%). Uncertainty reaches ±52.2% for landfill CH4; GWP-100 values of 100 - 1700 for BC give totals of 159.1 - 303.1 Gg CO2-eq. Priorities are reducing open burning and curbing landfill methane through organic-fraction diversion and biogas capture at the Aképé Technical Landfill Center (CET).