Citizens' Willingness to Help Improve Solid Waste Management in Kirkuk city: A Case Study of Kirkuk City

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is currently one of the most significant environmental and public health concerns in rapidly growing cities like Kirkuk, Iraq. This study aims to determine residents' willingness to pay—financially and behaviorally—to improve MSW management practices through sustainable interventions. Based on a structured questionnaire completed by 329 residents, the study examines levels of awareness, acceptance of payment, behavioral willingness, and the influence of demographic and social determinants. The results reveal that most citizens, the sampling method used appears to be stratified sampling. The gender category includes 221 males and 108 females, showing that both genders are represented. The education levels are distributed among Bachelor’s degree holders (184), Master/PhD degree holders (122 in total, combining 121 and 1), and Baccalaureate graduates (23), covering various academic backgrounds. Age groups are also stratified, with participants aged 18-25 years (75), 26-35 years (103), 36-45 years (74), and above 45 years (77). Regarding employment, different job types are included such as employees (215), freelance workers (76), housewives (17), municipal employees in Kirkuk (9), students (8), and free business owners (4).This stratification helps ensure that the sample accurately reflects the population diversity of Kirkuk city in terms of gender, education, age, and occupation, making the findings more reliable and generalizable. A total of 75.4% of respondents showed a strong willingness to separate their waste, pay a small fee, and support waste reduction initiatives led by both government and community organizations. These results highlight the significant potential for participatory and decentralized municipal solid waste (MSW) management reforms in Kirkuk. The study suggests implementing incentive-based waste programs alongside focused awareness campaigns to boost public engagement in achieving sustainable urban sanitation.