This study examines the overall pattern of solid waste generation, collection and disposedrnin Mekelle city by analyzing primary as well as secondary data. The findings show that aboutrn39792.9Kg of solid waste in a day and 1424408.5kg in a year were generated in Mekelle in 2001.rnThe largest proportion, over 75%, of the solid waste was of residentional origin, i.e. domesticrnsolid waste, which predominantly consists organic items such as ash and garbage. In general thernamount of solid waste generated was found to be a function of household income, where thernlower, the middle and the higher income groups generate 0.277 kg,, 0.301 kg and 0.412 kg perrncapita per day respectively.rnIn the year 2001 the solid waste collection and disposal service coverage by the HealthrnOffice of Mekelle was only 39.38%. The main factors behind the poor performance includernimproper organizational structure, shortage and dissatisfaction of the workers, inadequacy andrninappropriateness of the collection and transportation facilities (both the containers andrnvehicles), unfair distribution and sitting (placement) of the containers, and inadequate financialrnresources. Moreover, there were no detailed rules and regulations, ordinance and publicrneducation concerning solid waste management. The site selected for solid waste disposal, therndisposal technique and the solid waste collecting and transporting techniques used were also partrnof the main constraints of the solid waste management in the city of Mekelle.rnThe findings also indicate that certain social-cultural factors have aggravated the problemrnof solid waste management in Mekelle. The leading factors in this regard include improperrnhandling of solid wastes at home, improper transfer of solid waste into the container and thernillegal disposal of solid waste anywhere in the city.rnThe findings of the survey, in general, suggest that the Mekelle City Administration,rnparticularly its Health Office, take the necessary measures in order to improve the City's solid waste management service. Moreover, the Health Office has to make efforts to achieve a meaningful level of community participation in its endeavors to create a clean and healthy urban environment