Webinar on Landfill Remediation: the Fukuoka Method

Of the 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste that is generated in India annually, 31 million tonnes of waste is collected and disposed in its dumpsites, alternately also referred to as landfills, however, these landfills are not made according to stipulated sanitary standards. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) projected that waste generation would increase further to 165 million tonnes by 2031 and to 436 million tonnes by 2050. At such a pace of generation and with existing waste management systems, India needs 1,240 hectares of land per year and 66,000 hectares by 2031 for disposal.

Landfill capping and remediating dumpsites are two possible solutions for managing dumpsites currently being explored in the country. Bio-capping does not destroy or remove contaminants; instead it isolates them and keeps them in place to avoid the spread of contamination. Whereas, biomining is a process where previously dumped waste is dug up after loosening by harrowing and is then processed to recover valuable recyclable scrap while also recovering landfill space. While, biomining and bio-capping are explored widely in Indian cities, there is also a need to explore sustainable and effective practices and learnings from other countries which are affordable and effective and involve recovery of resources, bioremediation of land and re-utilisation of the existing waste land. 

Fukuoka method (semi-aerobic landfill concept), is one such method that intends to remediate dumpsites/landfills by utilising low cost technologies and resource materials. Developed jointly by the Fukuoka University and Fukuoka City government, Japan in 1970s, the method is now adopted by over 80 per cent of local governments in Japan and introduced in many countries in South East Asia and Africa.

UN-Habitat is working closely with Fukuoka Method founders and experts since 2000 and intends to transfer the knowledge of this method to cities in India.