Visual Pollution Caused by Waste Accumulation in the Areas of Al-Maqal, Al-Abla, and Khams Mail in Basra City, 2025

Abstract

The present study examined the problem of visual pollution caused by waste accumulation in the areas of Al-Maqal, Al-Abla, and Khams Mail in Basra City during 2025, as one of the urban environmental problems that has increasingly expanded due to population growth, weak municipal services, and the increase in residential and commercial activities. The study aimed to identify the reality of waste spread and analyze its environmental, visual, health, and social impacts, in addition to explaining the spatial distribution of visual pollution manifestations within the study areas.

The study adopted the descriptive analytical and field approaches. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed randomly among residents of the study areas, alongside direct observation, field documentation, and data analysis using frequencies, percentages, and statistical tables.

The results revealed a high level of waste accumulation in markets, streets, and vacant lands, with a clear weakness in municipal services, insufficient waste containers, and irregular waste collection processes. The findings also indicated that visual pollution caused by waste has negative health, psychological, and social effects on residents and contributes to the distortion of the urban landscape.

The study concluded with several recommendations, most notably increasing the number of waste containers, improving cleaning services, intensifying environmental awareness campaigns, imposing fines on random waste disposal, and involving the local community in cleanliness campaigns and urban environmental  conservation.