Closing a dumpsite requires an alternative waste management system, which means adequate planning, institutional and administrative capacity, financial resources, social support, involvement of relevant stakeholders and political consensus. These conditions are sometimes impossible to meet in countries where dumpsites are the dominant method of waste disposal and the quality of governance is insufficient. However, calculating the effect of Hiriya dumpsite closure on emissions of greenhouse gasses and its benefits for climate change prevention takes comprehensive research, including the use of unique tools.
In 2018 ISWA (The International Solid Waste Association) conducted a thorough study about benefits from closure of dumps to the fight against climate change. The study describes 3 study cases of successful closures of dumpsites around the globe. The evolution of the Hiriya site, was one of these study cases.
The discarding of waste in open dumps as it used to be in the old Hiriya dump creates many environmental problems, among them emissions of greenhouse gasses due to decomposition of organic material in anaerobic conditions.
Most of the emissions are of Methane and carbon dioxide. Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2. Rehabilitation of dumps and advanced waste management are done with actions to reduce the emissions of these gasses to the atmosphere.
In the research presented by ISWA there is an evaluation regarding the reduction in emissions due to the closure of the dump, the pumping of gas from inside the mountain and the establishing of the recycling park and the RDF plant.
The research shows a 65% reduction in emissions. This reduction emphasizes the need for urgent measures in areas where the waste treatment is not adequate.