Sustainable Landfilling through application of Fukuoka Method in Ghana

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Regional Office for Africa (ROAF), invites qualified, experienced, and reputable consultancy firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for participation in the upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) for consultancy services for the study to asses the feasibility of applying the Fukuoka Method, a semi-aerobic landfill system pioneered in Japan, at the Ayidan site Ghana. Project Background: Poor solid waste management (SWM) remains a major challenge in the Greater Accra Region (GAR), contributing significantly to public health risks and recurrent flooding. Indiscriminate dumping of waste into drains and waterways reduces drainage capacity and increases flood hazards. The problem is rooted in (a) limited public awareness, (b) inadequate collection, segregation, and recycling infrastructure, (c) insufficient disposal capacity, and (d) weak enforcement of existing bylaws. Areas along the Odaw Channel lack adequate collection and transfer facilities, causing much of the waste to end up in open drains or unauthorized dumpsites, which worsens flood impacts. The GAR generates an estimated 2,500–3,000 tons of waste daily, of which about 75 percent is collected. Waste collection is largely private-sector driven. High-income communities enjoy over 90 percent door-to-door coverage, whereas low-income settlements remain underserved. Households in these areas often rely on communal containers or informal dumping, influenced by factors such as family size, education, income, and gender roles. Education and income levels, in particular, determine both household waste practices and willingness to pay for collection services. Effective interventions in SWM for flood risk reduction must therefore consider these gendered and socio-cultural dimensions. Operational and oversight capacity in sanitary landfilling remains limited. The country currently operates only one engineered sanitary facility, and experience in managing modern landfill operations including leachate, gas, and cover systems and is still developing. Advanced aerobic or semi-aerobic systems, if done properly, not only will significantly reduce the post closure care requirements and costs but could also significantly enhance performance and extend landfill lifespan of the facility. At the same time, the pressure to curb methane emissions from the SWM sector is intensifying. Ghana’s ongoing review of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) highlights methane abatement through improved methane generation avoidance and methane emission reduction as top priorities for climate action. Against this backdrop, the Fukuoka Method offers a technically proven, low-cost, and climate-positive solution. This semi-aerobic landfill system uses natural air circulation to accelerate waste decomposition, stabilize leachate, and drastically reduce methane generation. When combined with organic waste diversion and composting at source, the approach can transform current waste-disposal practices, reducing landfill inflows, prolonging site life, and achieving significant greenhouse-gas (GHG) mitigation. The proposed study will therefore: •Assess the technical applicability of the Fukuoka Method to Ayidan’s site conditions (hydrology, geology,rainfall, waste composition, and tonnage). •Evaluate integration with upstream composting and organic-waste diversion programs to reduce landfillinflows and extend facility lifespan. •Explore complementary compost-based biocover systems to enhance methane oxidation on intermediateor final surfaces. •Quantify potential GHG and lifecycle environmental benefits relative to conventional landfill operations. This hybrid framework including semi-aerobic landfilling combined with source-segregated organic composting has the potential to redefine Ghana’s SWM trajectory by demonstrating a scalable model of sustainable landfilling that integrates circular-economy principles, waste valorization, and climate co-benefits. It offers a pathway for fiscal savings, reduced reliance on new land acquisition, and improved environmental outcomes. Specific Requirements/Information Interested vendors must posses the necessary technical expertise and capacity to provide the required services, as only suitably qualified vendors will be invited to participate and Vendor must complete the attached Annex A. Vendors expressing interest must be registered with the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) at minimum of Basic Registration Level. Vendors not registered in UNGM will not be eligible to paricipate in the tender exercise at a later stage. An expression of Interest does not guarantee paricipation in the request for proposal as only suitably qualified vendors will be invited to pariticpate Joint Ventures and Prime–Subcontractor arrangements are acceptable and encouraged.