Effective urban solid waste management in African cities remains a critical challenge characterized by rapid urbanization, limited infrastructure, and insufficient data. Traditional top-down approaches often fail to address the unique, hyperlocal realities of waste generation, disposal behaviors, and service gaps. This presentation explores how OpenMap Development Tanzania (OMDTZ) with the funds from the World Bank, has implemented community-driven data collection approaches in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Kenya to fill this knowledge gap and build more responsive, inclusive waste management systems.

Through the integration of OpenStreetMap (OSM), mobile data tools like OpenDataKit, OsmAnd, and participatory mapping techniques, communities have been engaged in mapping informal waste collection points, illegal dumping sites, transfer stations, and service coverage areas. By centering local knowledge, these projects have produced actionable geospatial data that informs city-level planning, supports environmental health interventions, and amplifies citizen voices in waste governance.
Participants will gain insights into how grassroots data collection not only improves the quality of open data but also reshapes power dynamics in urban planning, placing communities at the forefront of building cleaner, more sustainable cities.