Population access to waste collection services: urban vs rural areas in Romania

Abstract

This paper aims a comparative analysis at county level concerning urban and rural population access to sanitation services in the context of EU accession. Partially coverage of population to such services contributes to illegal dumping of waste generated and uncollected.Furthermore, waste management facilities are inappropriate, particularly in small cities or rural areas. Comparative analysis of urban vs. rural population served by waste collection services using thematic cartography highlights on the one hand the existing disparities within a county and on the other hand reflects the regional disparities across Romania.The demographic, socioeconomic and geographic differentiations between urban and rural areas amplify these gaps that prevent from implementation of an effective waste management system at national scale.Thematic maps highlights that urban population is not fully covered by sanitation services while in rural areas less than half of population has access to these services. Also,in some counties, vulnerability to illegal dumping is high in both rural and urban areas.