Wayward Travels: Mbeubeuss and Guedieweye aka Fire and Water

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On Saturday, the 10^th of March I visited the districts of Mbeubeuss and Guedieweye with my Environmental Development class. Both sites concern environmental and health concerns for Dakar’s residents, though in two different arenas. Mbeubeuss’ impact, as Dakar’s primary waste depository site, is seen in the form of groundwater, air, and land toxicity. Guedieweye is concerned with the issue of flooding, and all the implications on public health that is caused by stagnant water, flooded sewers, etc.

Smoke that burned our eyes

Our first stop was Mbeubeuss, situated in the district of Malika. My first impression was hard to reconcile what we had learned in class. Originally, it was intended as a temporary waste deposit site for all of Dakar’s household, industrial, and organic waste of nearly 2.5 million inhabitants. None of this waste is sorted, leaving pools of industrial chemicals alongside piles of burning household waste. However, lacking the institutional/structural support from the government, an alternative dumping site was never allocated. The result is a poisonous waste site with a 50 km radius of toxicity. On average 460,000 tons/year of waste has been dumped here for the last 44 years.

My friend Peter and I decided to see if this was liquid-we tossed a rock in, and it stuck to the surface. After a second, it was sucked slowly into the pool, leaving so sign it was even there. Conclusion: pool of some kind of oil/raw industrial chemicals.

The size of Mbeubeuss is ever expanding and a dangerous health risk. It currently covers over 175 hectares. However, the lack of fences increases the likelihood of waste spilling across its official boundaries. As we saw when we visited, scavengers frequent the disposal site to search for anything they can recycle or sell back in local markets. These scavengers are not limited to humans, as animals see Mbeubeuss as a food source. Packs of dogs and the occasional rat harbor diseases that only increase Mbeubeuss’ dangers.

From an epidemiological standpoint, Mbeubeuss is a ticking time bomb. After years of exposure to so much toxic waste, the health of the surrounding communities is strongly implicated. As we discussed with Mr. Diallo, a man who has studied Mbeubeuss for the last 30 years, local inhabitants have symptoms such as respiratory issues, skin conditions, headaches, and fatigue, to name a few. Birth defects are common, as well as delayed fetal development. More health issues for those who live close to the dump are sterility, developing cancers of liver, kidneys, lungs or stomach, as well as psychiatric disorders. A population in particular risk is the children, as they are very commonly in the waste deposit site scavenging.

Women on the left hand side

If the direct health of the local people wasn’t enough, there is also a high risk for surrounding agriculture and livestock breeding. The areas around Mbeubeuss are one of Senegal’s active agricultural areas-including the prime area for Dakar’s produce. Rainwater tends to collect in Mbeubeuss, which increases the risk of malaria, but also increases the risk of poisonous water sources. Groundwater and surface water are contaminated when chemicals from the dump as they leech through the earth. With wells being the primary source of water in the area, this toxic groundwater is being used to water crops and feed livestock.

Mbeubeuss in the distance

Prof. Diane discussing Mbeubeuss' affect on the ocean

Site of illegal sand mining

Finding solutions to the problems posed by Mbeubeuss is as complicated as its health concerns. There is a research team present on the site, attempting to think of solutions to the many health risks of the landfill. Their research is also trying to determine how to improve the quality of life for the inhabitants of Mbeubeuss and promote job creation, so people are not forced to scavenge in the heaps to support their families. While the presence of these researchers is undoubtedly a good effort, there still lacks a synergy of action between three primary actors. The state, the community, and the World Bank (or any international aid/NGO) need to present a united front to think of solutions. While there has been action on the part of all these actors, nothing has yet been initiated which unites all three for the best possible solution.

Local boy

Katie and Basma rocking the face masks

My own observations of Mbeubeuss startled me. All this information I knew but didn’t comprehend. Walking through toxic fumes and seeing burning trash impressed upon me the reality of the situation. If seeing the waste wasn’t enough, it was seeing the people that lived there. Seeing a 4-year-old boy with no shoes and tattered clothing walking through smoking piles of garbage, looking for what he could save. Seeing the dozens of people who crowd along after the garbage trucks, picking through the newly deposited piles because those are the most likely to contain something of value. When I breathed, the smoke burned my throat and lungs-but I knew I could feel nothing compared to people who had lived here for years. My eyes burned from the chemicals in the air and all the smoke. The smallest breeze threw particles into my eyes. To conclude, I can only compare it to what Hell must be like.

An empty truck leaving the dump site

Father and Son?

Entering Guedieweye

Guedieweye, though not as powerful as Mbeubeuss, nevertheless posed many environmental and health concerns. This community was built over a naturally occurring run-off area. With the addition of sewer systems and public water pipes, the groundwater and surface water meet. It is manifested in floods, which cover the streets for weeks at a time. The increase of water usage in the house increases the flooding, resulting in broken sewer lines. Thus, the water covering the streets of Guedieweye is a contaminated wave that increases diseases in the local community. The water is too dangerous to be pumped into surrounding agricultural fields, and the community has no support from the government to manage the floods. They have resorted to their own barriers of cement and sand to stop the water, which will only increase in volume, overwhelm the barrier, and continue its path to the sea. This path implicates the environmental health of the immediate sea water, beach wildlife, and local fishing.