Sanitation, Pollution and Nuisance Control in the City of Sikasso, Mali
Abstract: Sikasso, a major trading and farming town in southern Mali, is growing faster than its sanitation services can keep up. This article looks at the state of sanitation in the town, at how the Regional Directorate for Sanitation and Pollution and Nuisance Control (DRACPN) carries out its work, at the obstacles it runs into, and at what residents think of it. We surveyed 50 residents across the 16 neighbourhoods of the urban commune, interviewed four officials from the DRACPN, the local sanitation service and the town hall, and in August 2026 visited drains, streams, waste dumps and the controlled landfill. Solid waste (44%) and wastewater (40%) are what worry residents most. Half of them put their rubbish in a bin, but 16% still use illegal dumps and 6% burn it. Half rate the cleanliness of the drains as no better than average, and 72% say poor sanitation affects their health or their surroundings. Environmental control is hard to see. Over half of those surveyed (58%) have never heard of the DRACPN, 54% say inspections are irregular, and none has ever seen a sanction. Two thirds (68%) think anti-pollution efforts achieve little or nothing. Officials, for their part, point to real progress, held back by too few staff, too little fuel and no wastewater infrastructure, and by residents' lack of civic-mindedness and reluctance to pay for waste collection. The DRACPN is doing its job, but only partly effectively. How well it does from here will depend as much on its resources as on residents' support.
Keywords: urban sanitation; solid waste; environmental control; nuisances; Sikasso
How to Cite?: Youssouf GUINDO, "Sanitation, Pollution and Nuisance Control in the City of Sikasso, Mali", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1279-1286, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261019070106, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261019070106