Description of work package. 1 The seventh EU framework programme for the project title “Integrated Waste Management in Western Africa” (IWWA) will be implemented in four West African countries namely, Ghana, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal and Nigeria. The project seeks to help beneficiary countries to develop sustainable solid waste management programmes in order to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal 7. In conformity with the main objective of IWWA which seeks to enhance the enforcement of Integrated Solid Waste Management in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal, the main aim of Section 1 is to identify the indicators which need to be used for assessing the demographic, institutional and socio-economic aspects of these countries and how these affect the waste management and disposal trends in these countries. With this information, the group members anticipated specifying the required criteria for evaluating the socio- economic situation and policy background of the countries in question. In order to arrive at the main objective of WP 1, the partners listed above conducted a literature review of the existing situation and also engaged in verbal discussions with various officers from different countries’ ministries in order to have an overview of the socio- economic situation in each country. After identifying common features which characterised these countries, as well as certain fundamental qualities which affect all these countries, information gathered was analysed with relevant conclusions drawn. The first task to be implemented under project involved development of criteria for the evaluation of socio – economic conditions and legal regimes/background in the West Africa sub – region. Partners of this project were tasked to look at different aspects of the first task. KNUST and CEIA members of this team will propose a methodological framework for the assessment of the living conditions in these areas, including demographics and social aspects (human population growth, poverty, urban and rural population), economic aspects (production sectors, financial capacity, quality of life, distribution of income). The task team will also define general guidelines for the subsequent assessment under WP2. The outcome of this task will be a set of criteria and indicators, which will allow the socio – economical evaluation and classification of the regions in work package 2. A report will be prepared by KNUST to be included as section 1 in Deliverable 1.1.
