Revisions are needed on the paper I submitted for school. I have uploaded a file titled default.pdf which explains. Any section that scored less than a 3 needs to be revised. Please read teachers comments. Aspects B3, B5, C2 - C2f, D1 and D2 require addre

Introduction

Waste management id acknowledged as a challenging issue for the Sultanate of Oman owing to the fact that it has limited land as well and this waste causes adverse implications on the public health and the environment. Additionally, with a population of approximately 3.9 million people, Oman is believed to generate over 1.7 tons of waste annually. In this case, the average per capita generation of waste per day is approximately 1.2 kg which can be equivalent to approximately 4700 tons of waste generated from Oman municipality each day.

The Oman solid waste is characterized by a very high proportion of recyclables, paper Plastics (20.9), metals (1.8), \cardboard (15%) and Glass (4%).However, it is acknowledged that Oman is yet to discover the potential that is underlying in its municipal waste stream. In other words, quite a big percentage of this solid waste is disposed in unauthorized and authorized dumpsites which in the process, results into adverse effects on the public health and the environment as well. Besides, there are a number of dumpsites and landfills that are situated either around the residential areas or near water catchment areas of public and private drinking water bodies. Moreover, the issue of waste management in Oman is characterized by lack of disposal facilities and collection facilities. As a result, most of the solid waste, e-wastes, and industrial wastes among others are deposited in landfills that are scattered around the country. In this case, it is known that Oman possess approximately 350 landfills or rather dumpsites which are under the management of the municipality. Besides, there are also quite a number of unauthorized dumping areas where all types of wastes are dumped recklessly without care.

Al Amerat dumpsite is believed to be the pioneer of engineered sanitary landfill around the sultanate of Oman which commenced its operations during the year 1011.Additonnaly, this dumpsites has spread approximately over an extensive area of 9.1 hectares consisting of around five cells hence making up a total volume of 10million cubic meters of waste material. In each cell, there are around 16 shafts that are interconnected in order to ensure that all the leachate is able to move to the leachate pump effectively. This landfill project was facilitate by the Oman government as part of the initiatives brought forward to tackle the issue of solid waste management and the problems associated with it in a very environmental sustainable and scientific manner. Therefore, being the pioneer of its kind, this dumpsite is expected to serve as an example or a framework for the future waste management projects that are expected in Oman as a country.

Oman has tried to look to the future by making Waste management as one of the top priorities in the Oman government and in the process, it has established a robust strategy that will see to it that it solves the waste management issue in Oman. Additionally, Oman as a country is trying as much as possible to set up 13 engineered dumpsites as well as 36 waste transfer stations in a number of areas around the country by the next decade. Additionally, plans are underway in several wilayat centers especially in Salalah and Muscat to establish more modern facilities of solid waste management. In this case, the newly established landfills will be able to eventually pave way for the disbandment of unauthorized and authorized garbage dumps that are lingering around Oman.

Quite a big proportion of solid waste in Oman is believed to emanate from the construction industry. Statistics show that approximately 45% of waste materials originated from construction industry. Hence when it comes to waste management issues, the construction industry should be at the top of the list since it the highest contributor to this solid wastes. http://jsrsai.jp/Annual_Meeting/PROG_51/ResumeB/rB08-2.pdf

Statement of the problem

With the increasing population growth, affluence and urbanization, waste management and the issue of disposal of waste from the municipal has developed into one of the primary environmental challenges in Oman and in the process, it is impacted so many individuals negatively through the world. Additionally, not until the year 2011 was when the government of Oman started being serious about the challenges and issues revolving around waste management. As a result, Oman possess one engineered dumping site that is situated at the capital city while at the same time, it still uses the ancient rural dumpsites in its interior regions. Additionally, there are a many as 350 ancient dumpsite scattered around Oman .However, it is believed that the government of Oman is trying to establish ways of rehabilitating and in the process close some of the open landfills if not all and replace them with scientifically proven and engineered landfills.

In Oman, as of recent, there are no tangible waste treatment facilities and therefore, dumping wastes in the already existing landfills is the only open and ultimate way to dispose solid wastes. In other words, there are no other methods of disposal that are employed in Oman as of recent. The bottom line is that, solid wastes from construction facilities are highlighted by lack of appropriate engineered disposal facilities. In other words, industrial waste, solid waste, e-wastes are directly dumped at the dumpsites that are found across Oman.

As of recent, there have been a number of literatures and research studies about solid waste management in Oman but there have been limited information about management of wastes using scientifically, environmentally and engineered proven ways. As a result, this research aims at filling the gap that exists in the previous research works bout the issue of waste management.in other words, the challenge that is posed by solid waste in Oman needs to be dealt with and addressed using environmental sustainable and engineered methods. Besides, the already existing engineered landfill is about to reach it maximum capacity most especially with the danger posed by the economic growth of Muscat. Therefore it is important that a strategic plan should be identified in order to facilitate proper management of wastes around Muscat region using different waste treatment facilities. Besides the current waste management scenario in Oman is wanting in such a way that, almost the whole proportion of the material wastes that are generated around Muscat and the areas around the capital city of Oman are collected and dumped directly to the sanitary landfill that was constructed in the year 2011.In this case, there is no cases of reusing and recycling hence making the collection system a drop-off collection since variables sizes of collection bins are distributed among 4-6 houses’ Muscat, there is no well-established treatment RMF hence making the waste to be directly dumped to the landfill.

Research aims

This research work revolves around exploring the issue of waste management in Oman. In other words, the aim of this research revolves around filling the gaps that exist in the establishment of engineered and enviroenmtnal friendly ways of managing waste materials in Oman.

Objectives of Research

· To establish some of the perceptions and opinions of construction professionals about some of the ways in which waste management in Oman can be managed efficiently.

· Tom examine the level and extent in which the knowledge and expertise is prevalent on issues about waste management.

· Tom investigate some of the best approaches in which waste management in Oman can be dealt with.

· To establish an inaugural outline that will be of utmost importance in reducing the level of wastes most especially those obtained from the construction and building industry in Oman.

· To establish the relationship that exist between recycling of waste and the problems associated with disposal of waste materials in unauthorized landfills.

· To examine some of the challenges that are facing waste management in Oman.

Research questions

· What are some of the factors that are limiting the establishment of scientifically, environmental friendly and engineered landfills in Oman?

· What are some of the ways of improving waste management in Oman?

· What are some of your perceptions and opinions about the government efforts towards waste management in Oman?

· What are some of the factors that are preventing or rather limiting the government efforts towards waste management?

· What techniques do you think are the most appropriate measures of managing waste management in Oman?

· What are the challenges facing waste management efforts in Oman?

Overview of the research methodology.

This empirical research took the form of a mixed research design in such a way that, it employed both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. In this case, both survey questionnaires and interviews were employed in this empirical study. Additionally, the survey questionnaires were chosen because they are always easy for a researcher to administer and besides, their structured questions increases the chances of the accuracy of the data. Interviews were also employed because they are easy to seek clarification and validity of data. The methodology of this research was chosen and analyzed based on the objectives of the empirical study. Since the objectives of this research revolved around waste managed in Oman, the objectives if this research were evaluated and analyzed using a Life Cycle Assessment tool (LCA).In simple terms, LCA is basically one of the prominent decision support systems techniques that can be used in assessing the different approaches and techniques used in waste management. However, one limiting factor if this tool is the fact that it only revolves around environmental impacts but tends to ignore other factors such as economic and social effects of waste management. However, in this empirical study, the methodology took into consideration the three primary decision making determinants such as economic, environmental and social effects to try and compare the existing waste management system in Oman and other alternative waste management approaches so as to select the most suitable technique that can be employed in waste management in Oman. Moreover, SimaPro7 libraries using the Eco-Indicator 99 technique were employed in obtaining the background information and data for the life cycle inventory as well as assessing the end and mid points of the environmental effects. In this case, one ton of solid waste materials were considered as one functional unit. Furthermore, the LCA output along social and economic effects were compared using the techniques for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution method.

The questionnaires were used to get an insight of the construction practitioners and other engineering professionals about waste management issues in the construction industry in Oman. Additionally, the questions that revolved around the factors that are limiting the government efforts towards waste management issues were analyzed and ranked based on their mean values. Besides, the factors were also analyzed and ranked using SPSS version 13 package. Weighted criteria and coefficient of variation were employed in analyzing the responses from the questionnaires revolving around some of the ways that can be employed in improving the level of waste management in Oman.

Scope and limitations

Due to the increasing population and the development of urban centers, it is universally acknowledged that the municipal waste that arise from the construction industry is also increasing rapidly. Additionally, based on reports from the government, approximately over 1000 tons of waste is generated on a daily basis in the capital city of Oman. In other words, the scope of this study revolves around the selection and identification of a waste management system of Oman by using empirical surveys, interviews and evaluating the life cycle process of this waste from an economic, social and environmental point of view owing to the fact that the recovery of sloid waste is classified as environmentally and economically significance. For instance, effective waste management can reduce the demand level of raw materials by construction industries while at the same time decreasing the amount and level of energy consumption that is allocated for the production of raw materials. Moreover, the recovery and management of solid waste from the construction industry is also important because it will also reduce the dangers associated with landfills and unauthorized dumping sites. However, the quality of recovery basically depends on how effective the solid wastes were managed and collected.The methods of construction that this study basically focused on during the course of the project were the BS and the ACI methods. During this stages, this empirical study focused on the material flow as far as their handling and storage are concerned. Some of the proponents of this research included the site managerial staff at the construction sites alongside the quantity surveyors, project managers and architects. The availability of contacts and the accessibility of the construction sites made this research work to focus entirely on waste management in the construction industry. However, in so doing, it encountered some limiting factors in the course of the project. For instance, Structural engineering industries were not included in this research because there was a challenge in obtaining precise data as far as this industry are concerned in Oman. Another limiting factors the project encountered was basically the fact that this study could also have encompassed all the construction industry categories in Oman but owing to the fact that there was inadequate data an information regarding small-scale construction firms in Oman, this empirical research focused solely on waste management in large-construction firms.

Research outline

This research work was divided into five chapters as follows:

· Chapter 1: commences by introducing the research by explaining background information about waste management in Oman leading to the problem of the statement, research methodology, research aim, objectives and concludes by outlining the scope and limitations that the project encountered.

· Chapter 2: this chapter reviews some literatures and previous research works about waste management in Oman, benefits of reusing the construction waste and some of the materials that are mostly wasted in construction sites.

· Chapter 3: this chapter describes and explains the methodology of this research. Additionally, the structure of the administered questionnaire and how the sample size was chosen are also described explained and in the process, the methods and techniques employed in data analysis are also explained. In this case, the Life Cycle Assessment tool is explained in detail and how it is used to determine the effectiveness of waste management techniques in Oman construction industry.

· Chapter 4: This chapter presents the synthesis of the research findings and analysis of the research.

· Chapter 5:in this chapter, the research conclusions are made and in the process suggestion of some ways of improving waste management process in Oman are made