The Municipal Expenditure Efficiency in Solid Waste Management in Ecuador

Abstract

The efficient management of financial resources proposed for municipal solid waste management represents a fundamental pillar to guarantee environmental sustainability and good management of public services in Ecuador, the expenditure efficiency on integral solid waste management in the Decentralized Autonomous Governments (GAD) municipalities of Ecuador during the period 2020-2022 was analyzed, identifying provinces with efficient performance and those that require optimization of their operational processes. A descriptive quantitative approach was chosen, focusing on the 221 municipal GADs of Ecuador, employing secondary data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) related to operational expenses, tons of waste collected, and territorial coverage of services. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model was employed, enabling a comparative evaluation of municipal spending efficiency. The results demonstrate marked regional differences, with Guayas and Santa Elena exhibiting optimal efficiency, achieving effective management at lower costs. However, Azuay, Esmeraldas, Napo, and Zamora Chinchipe present significant inefficiencies, demonstrating a deficiency in operational optimization. It is shown that provinces with less optimized infrastructure face persistent challenges. Consequently, interregional heterogeneities in operational efficiency are established, showing the need to implement regulatory policies for technical-administrative strengthening in less efficient municipalities through the promotion of better management practices and strategic reorientation of public investments toward processes that maximize the optimization of available resources.