L'urbanisation rapide et non controlee de la ville de Kinshasa a cause la deterioration de l'environnement. L'une de ses consequences les plus inquietantes, reside d'ailleurs dans les problemes de gestion des decharges. Les decharges urbaines sont devenues un probleme environnemental, social et economique pressant pour la ville de Kinshasa qui produit 0,6 Kg des dechets par jour/personne soit 5 600 tonnes des dechets par jour, soit encore 1 881 600 tonnes par an. Dechets produits par une population estimee a 10 000 000 d'habitants, et une superficie de 9 965 Km2. Ces donnees temoignent de l'urgence d'assurer des services de gestion adequats des decharges, que generalement l'on ne trouve pas dans cette ville. Dans la capitale congolaise, l'enlevement des dechets menagers n'est assure que dans quelques zones residentielles, dans le reste de la ville, les dechets sont presents sur la route ou dans des sites illegaux, ou sont deverses dans les egouts ou enterres dans des ravins a ciel ouvert sans tenir compte des normes environnementales. ceci cree a la fois une menace a l'environnement et a la sante se la population.

Written as a practical introduction to biogas plant design and operation, this book fills a huge gap by presenting a systematic guide to this emerging technology -- information otherwise only available in poorly intelligible reports by US governmental and other official agencies. The author draws on teaching material from a university course as well as a wide variety of industrial biogas projects he has been involved with, thus combining didactical skill with real-life examples. Alongside biological and technical aspects of biogas generation, this timely work also looks at safety and legal aspects as well as environmental considerations.

Biomethanization of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Wastes is a comprehensive introduction to both the fundamentals and the more practical aspects of the anaerobic digestion of organic solid wastes, particularly those derived from households, that is, the organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW). It can be used as a textbook for specialized courses and also as a guide for practitioners. In the first part, the book covers the relevant aspects of anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic wastes. The fundamentals and kinetic aspects of AD are reviewed with particular emphasis on the aspects related to solid wastes. This introduction is necessary to have a comprehensive view of the AD process and to understand the practical principles as well as the origin of possible problems arising from the management of the process. Chapter 2 emphasizes the role of kinetics in designing the reactor, paying special attention to existing models, particularly the dynamic ones. Through this introduction, it is intended to facilitate the technology transfer from laboratory or pilot plant experiences to full-scale process, in order to implement improvements in current digesters. Laboratory methods are described for the analysis and optimization of reactor performance, such as methanogenic activity tests or experimental evaluation of the biodegradation kinetics of solid organic waste. The different reaction patterns applied to industrial reactors are outlined. Industrial reactors are classified in accordance with the system they use, pointing out advantages and limitations. Co-digestion, enabling the co-treatment of organic wastes of different origin in a more economically feasible way, is described in detail. Examples of co-digestion are given, with OFMSW as a base-substrate. Finally, full-scale co-digestion plants are discussed. Various types (mechanical, biological, physico-chemical) of pre-treatment to increase the biodegradability, and thus the yields of the process, are reviewed in detail. The use of the fermentation products of anaerobic digesters for biological nutrient removal processes in wastewater treatment plants is described. This constitutes an example of integrated waste management, a field in which both economic and technical advances can be achieved. Balances are given to justify the approach, and a full-scale case study is presented. The important topic of economics and the ecological advantages of the process are emphasized. The use of compost, the integration with composting technology, and advantages over other technologies are detailed in the framework of an environmental impact assessment of biowaste treatment. Finally, the anaerobic digestion of MSW in landfills is reviewed in detail, with emphasis on landfill process enhancement and strategies for its application.

Anaerobic digestion is a biochemical degradation process that converts complex organic material, such as animal manure, into methane and other byproducts. Part of the author's Wastewater Microbiology series, Microbiology of Anareboic Digesters eschews technical jargon to deliver a practical, how-to guide for wastewater plant operators.

Protected areas are at the base of the most national and international conservation strategies. Due to the many unpredictable elements in ecology matters, each protected area requires a case-specific set of guidelines but a common issue is how to cope with human interaction. The management of protected areas is replete with challenges and the only way to gain understanding and achieve greater management possibilities is to exchange experiences and knowledge. Environmental managers are aware of that and together with scientists are looking for more modern and better solutions, both with respect to natural resources and human interactions in many issues regarding nature protection. This publication presents reviews and research results on protected areas management, as well as 12 case studies derived from around the world with the aim of improving management effectiveness of the protected areas.