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Nairobi's Waste Pickers Brave Extreme Weather and Hazardous Conditions to Survive
10 Oct
Summary
- Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi receives 2,000 tonnes of waste daily despite being full since 2001
- Waste pickers face health issues, violence, and sexual harassment while working long hours
- Climate change intensifies challenges with heavy rains, flooding, and extreme heat
As of October 10th, 2025, Nairobi's Dandora dumpsite remains the city's main landfill, receiving an estimated 2,000 metric tonnes of waste each day despite being officially declared "full" in 2001. Thousands of waste pickers from the surrounding slums continue to scavenge through the mountains of garbage, searching for valuable items like metals, plastics, and food leftovers to sell.
However, the work has become increasingly difficult due to the impacts of climate change. Waste pickers report that heavy rains and flooding during the rainy season make the dumpsite treacherous, with many workers slipping and getting injured. The intense heat during dry spells also poses significant health risks, forcing them to remove protective gear and exposing them to the sun's dangerous UV rays.
Beyond the weather challenges, the waste pickers face a host of other issues, including respiratory problems, joint pains, and even tuberculosis and malaria from their work. Many have also experienced violence and sexual harassment on the site as competition for recyclables intensifies. Despite these hardships, the dumpsite remains a crucial lifeline for the workers, many of whom are single parents with limited education and employment options.
Efforts are underway to support the waste pickers, such as a partnership between the Danish Refugee Council and a local recycling company that provides protective equipment, childcare, and fair wages. However, the scale of the problem remains immense, with an estimated 46,000 waste pickers in Kenya and the impacts of climate change only expected to worsen in the coming years.
