APPLICATION OF MARKOV CHAIN IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, A Case of Awka Municipal Solid Waste Management

Abstract

The study aimed at applying Markov model in solid waste management. A Markovian solid waste management model formulated as a transition matrix M was used in predicting the probable future monthly percentage waste contributions from the various Zones of Awka, the Capital City of Anambra State. M contains the probability vectors used in the predictions for the year 2014 as the first year, and for the subsequent years. The prediction gave a long time percentage monthly solid waste contributions to total waste stream from each of the twelve zones of Awka city in future years as: Amawbia = 8.3%, Zik's Avenue =13.9%, Amaikwo = 8.8%, Amaenyi/Amaku = 8.6%, Udoka Estate = 8.8%, Nibo/Umuawulu = 7.2%, Iyiagu Estate = 6.4%, Okpuno = 8.2%, Enugu/Onitsha Expressway = 6.3%, Emma Nnaemeka Axis = 5.2%, Ifite = 9.2% and Government House = 9.1%. By this prediction, the Anambra State Waste Management Authority may be guided in its plans and decisions on how to schedule its disposal trucks to the Zones and if variable charges are to apply in the area, which zone pays what? The analysis also showed that it does not matter which month of a given year the study made on solid waste management started, provided the same length of period (twelve months, say) is maintained. Besides, it is hopeful that the model application to solid waste management will contribute to knowledge enhancement in the academic world.