Differential Adoption Rate for Households’ Solid Waste Management Practices by Socio-Demographic Characteristics in Goma Town, North-Kivu Province of DRC

This study analyses household solid waste management (SWM) practices in Karisimbi Commune and Goma Commune of Goma Town, DRC, comparing intervention (in Ndosho district) and control groups (in Kyeshero district). A cross-sectional design with stratified sampling was employed to examine five primary practices, separation, composting, incineration, storage, and evacuation, across demographic factors, including age, gender, marital status, education level, and religion. Results indicate that storage and evacuation are the most commonly practised methods, while sustainable approaches such as composting and separation remain underutilised. The intervention group demonstrated statistically significant gains in composting and separation, particularly among women and middle-aged participants, highlighting the value of gender- and age-responsive programming. These findings emphasise the need for equity-focused strategies and demographic-specific approaches to promote sustainable waste management and guide inclusive environmental policy decisions.