Architecture and Urban Waste Management: The Case of the City of Yaounde, Cameroon

The management of urban waste (GDU) is a critical challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Yaoundé, where rapid urbanization exacerbates insufficient infrastructure, service fragmentation, and the proliferation of illegal dumps. With a recycling rate below 4% and a composition dominated by organic matter (61-65%), the current system generates significant environmental (leachate pollution, methane emissions) and socio-health impacts. Facing the objective of the Yaoundé Urban Community to reduce landfilling by 70% by 2030 through an investment of 80 billion FCFA (including a sorting center, a methanization unit, and a plastics processing unit), this study is essential. It aims to design an adapted urban waste management center by integrating architectural, urban, social, and environmental dimensions. Through a critical analysis of African models (Dakar, Nairobi, Kigali) and circular economy strategies, this work defines the optimal architectural principles (flow organization, safety) necessary to guarantee a functional, sustainable, and well- integrated infrastructure within Yaoundé's constrained urban context.