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The Cost of Plastic Pollution in N’Djamena: A Case Study
Summary
This study estimated the social cost of plastic pollution along a canal in Chad's capital N'Djamena at over $3,000 per ton, with households closest to the water bearing the largest burden. The research fills an important gap by quantifying plastic pollution costs in an inland, low-income urban setting.
Plastic pollution is a major problem: it damages health, reduces ecosystem services, and affects local economies. Despite its importance, available valuation efforts have focused primarily on the damages caused by plastic in marine environments. Far less is known about the effects of plastic waste in inland settings. This paper addresses this gap by estimating in monetary terms the damages caused by the inappropriate disposal of plastic waste in an inland context. The study area is located along a canal that crosses N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. Using data from a primary survey and applying standard valuation techniques, the paper estimates the social cost of plastic pollution at over USD3000 per ton in 2020. In addition, it shows that the impacts of plastic waste vary significantly across the study area: households residing within 20 meters of the canal bear more than 75 percent of the total damages. The paper identifies the main valuation challenges and proposes recommendations to reduce plastic waste damages.